Colosseum: The Rise of Cipher
by Maetch
Summary: Everybody knows that a Pokémon's power lies in its heart... but what happens when the evils of man warps it to their own wicked designs? Colosseum Novelization.
1. Prologue: Moving Out

_Pokémon (c) Nintendo, Game Freak, The Pokémon Company, and many, many others_

_This story (c) ME!_

* * *

><p>If anybody on the street came up to another person and asked what was the most hellish, most detestable region of the Pokémon world imaginable, Orre would easily be in the top three at least. It was nothing but endless sand and rocky canyons, a place so devoid of life, even the wild Pokémon stayed far, far away from it.<p>

But that was nothing compared to the outright lawlessness that lurked within Orre. Though there was a Mayor and a _very _tiny police force to maintain control over the region's precious water supply, they were completely powerless in keeping order as the Gangs roamed free. Pokémon Trainers bound together in the name of survival, the Gangs did as they wanted, when they wanted, and no one dared challenge them otherwise. Even the Pokémon League refused to touch the region with anything remotely resembling control. And so Orre continued to fester like a big, untreated sore.

Every so often, some wide-eyed Pokémon Trainers hailing from one of the big-name regions like Kanto or Sinnoh would arrive via ship, thinking that they could make a name for themselves in conquering the most brutal of regions. Most of the time, the lethal combination of the Gangs and the desert utterly destroyed them, forcing them to return home in shame.

Today was going to be one such day, though the trio of Pokémon Trainers riding in the transport hoverbus remained unaware. "Man, this is great!" one Trainer stupidly proclaimed. "I don't see what the big deal is about this place. I've done enough desert traveling in Hoenn to know what it takes to make it out here."

"Maybe so, but I hear these so-called Colosseums pack the heat," came another, older Trainer who seemed to be the leader of the group. "That's why I brought the best Pokémon I've got."

"ETA to Phenac City, 5 minutes," announced the driver as he looked back toward the kids with annoyance. "A word of advice, kids," he added. "Shut up."

The third kid shruged. "Man, is that guy mean," he said. "I tell you, you won't hear that sort of attitude in Kanto."

The driver only scowled. He, like many others in Orre, detested strangers, especially those from the mainlands. _Mindless, spoiled, badge-obsessed brats, thinking they own everything,_ the driver muttered inwardly. _God, I wish I could just take a 12-gauge and-_ **BANG!**

That BANG was too real for the driver's thoughts. In fact, everybody on the bus heard it. The vehicle began jerking and slowing down, eventually landing on the sand with a soft thud. "Stay on the bus, brats!" the driver ordered as he got up and stepped outside to pop the hood and survey the damage. Sure enough, the engine had blown a gasket.

The first Trainer looked up. "He said it's only five minutes to Phenac, right?" The other two nodded. "We can walk from here. C'mon!" The Trainers left the bus and walked out into the desert.

The driver noticed, but spat in contempt. _They'll regret coming here,_ he thought. _Just wait..._

* * *

><p><em>Five minutes later...<em>

"C'mon, admit it. We're lost."

"We are not!" the lead Trainer argued. "The map says that Phenac City is just beyond the next dune."

"You said that three dunes ago," his friend retorted. "Look, let's just go back to the bus and wait for the guy to get it running again."

"I'm with him." the third Trainer added. "Anything's better than dying of heatstroke."

"Fine, you pansies, but I'm gonna keep going." Scowling, the lead Trainer continued to march forward. "It's not like we're gonna get picked on by kids or anything."

A loud mechanical ROAR sounded from out of nowhere, making everybody jump as three large vehicles resembling one-wheeled motorcycles nearly clipped them from behind. The bikes then pulled to a stop in front of the kids, revealing their drivers as a band of bald-headed men in red-and-black camo uniforms. They did not look friendly, as evidenced when one of the drivers, a tall man wearing reflective sunglasses, stepped off and drew a knife at the three Trainers.

"Look, boys... fresh meat," he called out, getting laughs and hoots from the pack.

The lead Trainer took a step back, but held a defiant expression. "You better tell us who you are," he demanded.

"Who we are? We're Team Snagem, and we rule the desert," the leader answered. "Hand over your Pokémon and any other valuables now!"

The lead Trainer relaxed his gaze and smirked in confidence. "Oh, I see. You're another band of wannabe Rockets." He turned to his friends. "C'mon, guys! Let's take down these lame-named rejects."

The three Trainers pulled out Poké Balls to release their Pokémon in defense. The Snagems, in turn, countered with their own Pokémon, and it wasn't long before it turned into a full-scale war. From a distance, the driver looked up towards the fight and snorted, then went back to his work.

Meanwhile, up on a rocky outcropping, a few more Snagems were busy wheeling out a large device. It was a yellow, boxy-looking machine with a powerful arm at its side. At the helm of the device was a lone Snagem, who adjusted some controls and moved the machine towards the fight.

"Targets have been sighted. Coordinates set," the Snagem announced. "Begin loading ammunition." A pair of Snagems took a small box of Poké Balls and placed them inside the machine. "Standby... FIRE!" With a jerk of a lever, the mechanical arm fired the Poké Balls with the velocity of bullets, each ball glowing with an odd aura.

Before the Trainers even knew what had happened, the Poké Balls slammed into their Pokémon and opened up, pulling the unfortunate creatures into each capsule and locking them inside. They couldn't understand what was happening. Poké Balls weren't supposed to capture Pokémon that were already owned by others, but it didn't seem to stop the machine as it fired more Poké Balls and stole away more Pokémon, allowing the Snagems to grab the balls and run towards the rocks.

Eventually, all the Trainers were wiped clean of their Pokémon, and the Snagems were whooping and hollering in victory. Down below, two of the Trainers were running back to the bus in fear. The third, however, was glaring daggers at the group.

"You... you jerks!" the lead Trainer shouted. "Those were my only Pokémon you stole from me. I've got no others."

One of the Snagems grinned evilly. "Aw, poor baby. Lost all his friends," he taunted. "Well, you'd better go catch more Pokémon. Oh, wait... There isn't any out here!" Everybody was laughing madly.

"Why you..." the Trainer began marching up towards the gang, ready to punch their lights out. He didn't get far, though, as one of the group stepped forward to meet him. He was a tall person, though he looked no older than a teenager. Unlike the Snagems, he had sandy-blond hair and wore a long, blue overcoat. "Stand aside, pal!" the Trainer shouted.

"Or what?" the stranger replied. "Don't you realize the stupidity of picking a fight with Team Snagem?"

"Yeah, you tell 'em, Wes!" a random Snagem shouted. "Knock his block off!"

"Oh, it's on!" The Trainer put up his fists and took a swing at Wes, but he simply dodged and grabbed his arm, then twisted it behind his back. The Trainer screamed in pain.

"Like I said," Wes continued, his calm expression unchanging. "Stupid."

The Trainer whimpered. "Please... please don't hurt me..."

"If you value your life, you're gonna go to Gateon Port and catch the first ship out of here."

"I... I don't have any Pokémon."

"True..." Wes rubbed his chin. "Hey, Wakin, you think you can spare this guy something?"

The leader laughed, the glint of the sun reflecting off of his silver shades. "Well, let's see..." Scrounging through the back cargo hold, Wakin pulled out a Poké Ball and placed it on the machine's hand. An omnious glow flashed over it. _"Previous ID tag blanked. Ready for ID reassignment,"_ a computerized voice announced. Wakin then tossed the ball back to the Trainer, which opened at his feet to reveal a pathetic-looking Magikarp.

"Better start training," Wes said as he released his grip and walked away. The rest of the Snagems followed, as did Wakin and his machine. Soon, all that was left was a lone Trainer and a Magikarp that flopped helplessly on the sand like... well... a fish out of water. Sighing, the Trainer took a spare Poké Ball and captured it without resistance, then returned to the bus, his confidence shattered.

The driver looked up at the kids with a cruel smile. "Welcome to Orre. Now go home." The Trainers had no objections as they got on the bus, silently waiting for him to finish the repairs and turn back around to Gateon Port.

* * *

><p>It was nightfall by the time the Snagems reached Eclo Canyon, and the harsh daytime heat was already giving way to bitter nighttime cold as they maneuvered their Rumblers through the twisting stone routes, the one-wheeled hoverbikes earning their name from the loud rumbling of high-octane mayhem that echoed throughout the canyon in their wake. The noise eventually quieted down as the Snagems approached a large building sitting smack-dab in the center. A pair of Snagems immediately saw the approaching group and ran inside. After a few seconds, a large garage door opened up, allowing the other Snagems to ride their bikes inside and park them within the safety of their lair.<p>

Dismounting from their rides, the Snagems grabbed several burlap sacks of Poké Balls and walked through the open doors into the main halls of the Snagem Hideout. The interior decor was barely stylish, mostly consisting of rusted doors and walls that had only the faintest amount of welding. Various junk sat scattered about throughout the halls, from leaking gas drums to broken vending machines. As far as the Snagems were concerned, function was more important than flash. So long as they had shelter, they didn't care about looking pretty.

There was, however, one exception to the ramshackle design. Saluting a guard, the Snagems entered a room that was, in every sense of the word, elegant. Comfortable chairs and finely-designed coffee tables decorated a beautifully carpeted room. Overseeing the room from the far end was a large, muscular man sitting behind a half-circular desk. Nearby, a well-worn Skarmory sat menacingly on its perch, its heavily-scratched metal wings imposing authority over the intruders. A mural of the Snagem insignia was laid out behind them, making it clear to the Snagems that this was their rightful Boss.

"So, you're back," the man said with a grin. He wore the same uniform as the Snagems, with various scars decorating his well-built chest. His mustache and eyebrows were long and spindly, almost gravity-defying as they twitched with every breath. "Whaddya got?"

"Gonzap, sir!" Wakin saluted as he approached his boss, flanked by Wes and the guard from outside. "We've got a lot of Pokémon for you." Several of the Snagems laid down their burlap bags and opened them up, allowing lots of Poké Balls to fall to the floor. Gonzap licked his lips in anticipation. "Gotta say, Boss," Wakin continued, "that Snag Turret is the best investment you've ever made. We're easily pulling _triple_ that of what we used to get from the Snag Gauntlets."

"Another spectacular haul, boys," Gonzap grinned as he went through the Poké Balls. "All of you wait outside." There were silent groans, but all the Snagems obliged. As usual, Gonzap insisted on sampling every haul. They knew that he would take all the highest-quality Pokémon for himself while his top subordinates got second dibs. Everybody else would get to fight over the third-rate leftovers, but they knew they'd at least be getting _something,_ and so they held their peace.

As the crowd dispersed, Wes was about to leave with them when Gonzap spoke up. "Where're you goin' Wes? Sit down for a moment." Wes sighed, but turned back towards Gonzap as the burly man took a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses from his desk. "Drink?"

"No thanks," Wes politely replied.

"Oh well. Here, Skarr." Undaunted, Gonzap poured himself a glass, then casually passed his Skarmory a second. The old Flying-type was no stranger to alcohol, which it proved by quietly sipping from the top of the glass. "I heard how you showed a lippy Trainer who was boss," he continued. "How'd he take it? Painfully, I hope."

"Of course." Wes smiled as he reclined on a couch. "Kids like him need to learn that Orre's no place for 'em, and someone's gotta be the teacher. Might as well be me."

Gonzap laughed raucously. "That's what I like about you, Wes," he replied. "You know how to get your point across." The Snagem Head drew another glass and poured some wine. "C'mon, have a drink. It's not like you're gonna be going anywhere tonight."

"Nah, I'm good," he answered. "Anyway, I'm turning in for the night. See ya."

"Don't forget. Tomorrow, we've got that convoy of buses rolling through the canyons. I want my best Snaggers to be fully rested for it, especially you, Wes." Gonzap glared at his young friend. "I won't tolerate any failures on your end."

Wes smirked. "I know."

* * *

><p>As Wes entered the ramshackle room that was his quarters, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of Poké Balls. Depressing the triggers, the balls popped open to reveal their occupants: an Espeon and an Umbreon. The two Pokémon immediately leapt up on Wes and growled happily. "C'mon, Ebony, Ivory. Down, boys."<p>

Despite the slightly overbearing affection, Wes smiled. Ebony (the Umbreon) and Ivory (the Espeon) had been his most trusted friends since they first met. They weren't much for conversation, but they always stood by him, which was more than Wes could say for some of the lowlifes he had associated himself with in the past.

His job done for today, Wes kicked off his boots and sat down on a makeshift cot in the corner. As he sat, a ringing sound started to play in his coat, and he removed the source of the sound. It was his Pokémon Digital Assistant (P*DA), and the sound meant that it had e-mail for him. Wes brought it up to read:

_Wes,_

_I don't know what you've been doing this past month, but I can't wait any longer! I need that evidence soon. There's been a lot of problems at my end and some nasty rumors going around._

Wes entered in a response and hit SEND:

_To whoever you are,_

_I understand your eagerness, but it's taken me this long to get as far as I have. Fortunately, I have all I think I'll need to finish up. Make sure you have my payment at the drop spot, and watch for the news._

_Wes._

Switching the device off, Wes flopped down on his cot and looked up towards the ceiling in thought, with Ebony and Ivory curled up nearby. At the moment, Wes was in deep thought about both the e-mail and his position in the Snagems. _It's getting close to the deadline,_ he realized. _Didn't think I'd last this long with Team Snagem as it is._

He had to admit that it was a fairly rewarding job. Team Snagem gave him ample payment per Pokémon snagged, and he had the trust of the Snagem Boss himself, which was hard enough for _actual_ Snagems to get as it was. But Wes was also a person who never backed down on his word or settled for a half-finished job, so he knew that it was time to hold up his end of the bargain with his client. Still, if he went through with this, Gonzap would have his goons chase him to no end. The man was never good at forgiveness.

Eventually, Wes made his decision and sat up. "By now all the Snagems are bunked in for the night," he explained to the Eons as he reached down under the cot and pulled out a burlap bag. "Time to put in some late hours."

* * *

><p>As morning shone over Eclo Canyon, with not a single sign of life in sight, Gonzap stood on the hideout roof and looked over the desolate wastes like a king surveying his kingdom. At his feet, Skarr cawed, eager to get some morning exercise in. Gonzap nodded and took Skarr onto his arm, where he helped hoist his pet into the air. Watching his Pokémon soar over the rocks and sands, Gonzap went back inside to his office, where a large group of Snagems stood at attention in front of his desk. They were ready to do anything for their boss, without question or hesitation.<p>

"Alright, boys. This is it," Gonzap began as he took his seat. "In less than an hour, the first group of buses will be rolling through, and that's where the big money lies. We've got people coming from as far as Hoenn, and that means all sorts of rare and powerful Pokémon. I want every Snag Machine armed and every Snagem ready to attack. We pull this off, and we'll have all the cash we need to retire in style."

"Yes, sir!"

"Anyway, roll call!" Gonzap read off a clipboard. "Wakin, Biden, Agrev! You're all here, of course. Jedo and Driton... check. Fuston... here. Wes... Wes..." He looked around the room impatiently. "Wes?"

_**BOOOOOM!**_ The sound rocked the entire hideout, sending Snagems running every which way in confusion and fear. After a moment, Wakin looked up. "That came from the garage!" he shouted. In an instant, Gonzap was leading virtually every Snagem in the hideout towards the garage.

As they arrived, they saw what could only be described as intentional sabotage. Flames were burning madly. Various mechanical deviced were slagged beyond repair. All the Rumblers were completely totaled... save for one as its unmistakable engine noise sounded from outside a large hole in the wall. Gonzap and his band dashed outside, just in time to see it down the canyon... plus its driver. "It's Wes!" one of them shouted.

Indeed, Wes had turned to wave at his ex-teammates. "Thanks for the dirtbike, dirtbags!" he shouted as his vehicle vanished from sight. As he reached the edge of the canyon, Wes reached for a detonator and hit the button, blowing the rest of the Snagem Hideout to complete pieces. With a laugh, Wes floored the gas and left Eclo Canyon, pausing only to steal a glance at a strange package that was sitting in the sidecar with his Eons.

As the Snagems ran for cover from the debris and flames, Gonzap merely stood there, clutching his fingers and cursing a blue streak. "You little... After all I've... I... You..." With a scream, the Snagem leader turned to his grunts. "You four, put out the fires! Rest of you, salvage anything you can from the wreckage!"

Wakin ran up to him. "Gonzap, sir! You've got a call in your office. It's him..." He wiped his head in a fearful sweat. "What do I tell him?"

"Tell him... that we've got a problem," Gonzap morosely replied, then gritted his teeth in anger, "and I'm going to fix it." High up in the sky, Skarr circled almost forebodingly as it watched the chaos unfold.


	2. Boy Meets Girl, Girl Meets Trouble

As his Rumbler pulled to a stop, Wes was laughing loudly in success over his recent activities. "Man, I gotta admit," he gasped to Ebony and Ivory as they sat in the sidecar, along with the strange rag-wrapped object, "seeing Gonzap's face turn that red makes getting blacklisted all worthwhile." Catching his breath, Wes examined his surroundings. He was in front of a half-buried train engine, with various junk scattered everywhere. A sign hanging above a ramp leading into the train read "OUTSKIRT STAND".

Putting his thoughts aside, Wes stepped off the bike and walked towards the train. As he did, he noticed something interesting: a hovertruck with its engines running. Wes looked in the flatbed and saw a large burlap sack sitting inside, tied up tight and securely. For a brief moment, Wes could've sworn he saw the sack twitch, but simply shrugged and continued towards the train.

Just then, a pair of shady guys came stepping out of the door, laughing and hooting as they descended down the ramp. "Aw, man, Trudly, I'm stuffed!" said one of them, whose blonde hair was fashioned into a mohawk. "I can't remember the last time I've eaten as good as that."

"Yeah, but now we're really late," the other one said as he fixed his dark-shaded hat. He walked with a slight limp, perhaps from having recently gotten into a fight. "We're gonna get docked pay for sure. This is all your fault, Folly!"

"My fault? You're the one who was driving!" Folly griped as he got into the truck.

"But you insisted on the shortcut, and now we're stuck out here trying to get back to the main road." Trudly got behind the wheel and cranked the gearbox. "At least that one guy was nice enough to give us directions, so let's get back to work." The truck roared as it began to hover forward across the sandy dunes and out of sight.

As Wes watched the conversation, he sighed and shook his head. Quickly ignoring the scene behind him, Wes entered the train.

* * *

><p>The inside of the Outskirt Stand was surprisingly comfortable for an old, half-buried train engine. Though the train itself was without power, a few generators placed in the cannibalized engine section gave it enough juice for the owner to provide travelers with basic amenities, namely food, drinks, and air-conditioning. Indeed, people were inside lounging around, a few that Wes recognized as being regulars to the stand. There was an old man sitting at the bar, a moderately-aged man and woman discussing this and that over some Soda Pops, and an odd-looking young man with pink hair and a cowboy-styled outfit sitting silently in the far corner. Wes tried not to look nervous: that one guy was always there for some reason, always watching him.<p>

Wes pulled up a barstool and banged on the counter. "Yo!" he called out to the barkeep.

"Oh, heya, Wes!" the barkeep greeted. "The usual?"

"I'm drivin' right now, so no time! Just grabbin' some water and supplies."

"I hear ya. In this place, you'll sweat your socks off faster than a Slugma cools in winter." Both Wes and the barkeep laughed as he pulled out a bag of supplies and gave it to Wes. "But, seriously, this region is a hellhole. What I wouldn't give to have the League come out here and actually make Orre tolerable for a change."

"They tried, remember?" one of the barflies, an old man known simply as Gamps, spoke up. "And then they gave up. Said this place wasn't worth their time. Personally, I'd sooner die than let them come here and turn it all family-friendly. Those namby-pamby Trainers don't like it here, they can stay at home and play with their dolly Pokémon."

"Aw, come on. Why so pessimistic?"

"I'm saying this region ain't for the weak, and that's how it needs to stay," Gamps continued. "We don't need those League people coming in and telling us to go easy on some witless kids because they don't have them wha'chcallem Badges. We don't need no stinkin' Badges! Besides..." he paused to take a drink from his glass, "no one comes to Orre unless they're ready to toughen up, and if they can't... well, the desert's always lookin' to cull the fat off."

Wes sighed. He heard this argument many times, and he knew that it wasn't going to go anywhere. Wes instead turned his attention towards the TV, which was currently showing the national news.

_"In our top story this morning, two International Police choppers flying over the Orre region have reported seeing a series of explosions going off within Eclo Canyon. An immediate investigation into the explosions have discovered the remains of what appears to be a building." _A picture of the smoldering Snagem Hideout appeared on the screen, bringing a slight smile to Wes's face as he gazed at his handiwork. _"Though they have yet to find any solid evidence, it is believed that this building is the hideout of the desert nomads Team Snagem, who are known throughout Orre as a notorious band of thieves and criminals. Further investigation into the cause of the explosions is underway. We will bring you more of this story as it develops. In other news, renowned Pokémon researcher Prof. Larch has reported a new breakthrough in his studies of..."_

"Will you look at that?" the barkeep proclaimed. "I guess crime doesn't pay after all."

Gamps agreed. "Those Snagems had it comin', though knowin' them, they cleared out long before the cops showed up." Wes said nothing to his credit as he got up, paid his money, and left with his stuff... unaware that he was being watched.

* * *

><p>As Wes approached his Rumbler, a sudden voice called out from behind him. "Yo, wait up!" It was a pink-haired young man, whom Wes recognized as one of the Stand's regulars. "Hey, sorry about the sudden friendliness, but I see you go in and out of this place all the time, and it's driving me crazy. I've just gotta do this."<p>

Wes looked up. "Do what?"

"Battle you. What else are Trainers supposed to do when they meet? Arm-wrestle?" He held out his hand. "Name's Willie, by the way. I'm with the Riders." Wes scowled, and Willie lowered his hand. "Not much for conversation, huh? Anyway, wager's set at 450 PokéDollars. You in?"

Wes gave Willie a smirk. "If you insist."

"Oh, yeah! It's full-throttle time!" Willie reached for his belt and let fly a pair of Poké Balls. "Zig, Zag, let's go, go, go!" The balls opened to reveal a pair of Zigzagoons.

_Typical Rider, always charges in without a plan or a clue._ "Ebony, Ivory." The Eons leapt out of the Rumbler and took positions in front of Wes, ready to act on his command.

"Zig, Tackle the Espeon. Zag, cover him with Sand-Attack."

_Predictable._ "Ivory, Swift." Ivory darted forward at incredible speed, striking both Zigzagoons without fail. "Ebony, Bite." With a growl, Ebony leapt upon a Zigzagoon and chomped down hard. The one-two punch quickly KO'd the poor Zigzagoon.

"ZAG!" Willie looked panicked. "Well, alright! Zig, Sand-Attack again, then Secret Power."

"Ivory, Confusion." A burst of Psychic energy blasted forward from Ivory's forehead. It struck the remaining Zigzagoon, knocking it up into the air and sending it back down onto the sand with a soft thud. Willie was now officially out of Pokémon. "So, good enough for ya?"

"Whew... good enough." Willie recalled his Zigzagoons. "Didn't think I'd stand a chance, but you, you're definitely hot stuff!" Reaching into his pocket, he tossed Wes a small wad of PokéDollars. "So, where're you going?"

"That's none of your concern," Wes replied.

"Well, you're tough. You really mopped the floor with us," Willie continued. "You could definitely hold your own in a Colosseum challenge. There's one in Phenac City if you're interested. In fact, a pair of guys were around earlier asking for directions to Phenac."

"I'm familiar with the town, but thanks." As Wes and his Eons hopped on the Rumbler, he paused and turned to Willie. "By any chance, did one of the guys you gave directions to have a limp?"

"Actually... yes," he answered. "Why do you ask? Is he someone important?"

"No." Wes revved the engine. "He's nobody." And so he drove away into the open desert.

* * *

><p>Phenac City was considered the closest thing around to a bustling metropolis in Orre. Having been built over an underground water vein, it represented the region's source of life. To control Phenac was to control Orre itself, a fact that the Mayor never hesitated to flaunt. Wes generally preferred not to linger in the town, since his line of work wasn't exactly smiled upon by the locals.<p>

With his Rumbler brought to an idle stop, Wes was busy surveying the landscape. _Okay, so far no one's been chasing,_ he thought to himself as he looked over a small map on his P*DA and highlighted an area out in the west. _The drop point is right here, just outside Pyrite. If all goes well, my mystery friend will have his merchandise and I'll be able to pay off a few outstanding debts._

Wes pulled a pair of high-powered binoculars from his backpack and examined his surroundings. To the far west, he saw an old, ramshackle-looking town which was apparently his destination. More to the northwest, Wes saw a construction site working on a large tower. _I still can't see the point of building a skyscraper out here,_ he said inwardly. That tower had been under construction for the past year, and it stuck out like a sore thumb by wrecking Orre's desolate-yet-oddly-beautiful landscape with its tacky presence.

Finally, Wes wept his search towards the north, where Phenac City was. He then paused when some odd movement at the town's south gate caught his attention. Wes zoomed in for a closer view. Sure enough, it was the two idiots from the Outskirt Stand, and they seemed to be causing a scene over the burlap bag they were trying to carry.

Normally, Wes's first response was to simply keep on going without so much as a second thought, but Ebony and Ivory were staring intently towards the activity, as if transfixed by some strange power. "You know, guys, I do have an appointment to keep," he testily told them, but the Eons would not budge. With a sigh of defeat, Wes turned the bike towards Phenac.

* * *

><p>Unaware that they were being watched, the Shady Guys bickered as they lugged the large sack out of the truck. "Why do you get to carry the legs?" complained Folly. "I wanna carry the legs."<p>

"Last time I checked, I'm the favored Peon-to-be," shot back Trudly. "Therefore, I get the end with the easier grip."

"Yeah? Well, when I get myself a Shadow Po-"

"May I ask what you're doing?" Both boys dropped the bag on the stone pathway and turned to face Wes, with Ivory at his side. Ebony sat and watched from the sidecar.

"Oh, uh... hey there!" Folly greeted with a smile. "Look, sorry about this, but we're making a delivery. So if you could just-"

"What's in the bag?"

"We're just... um... bringing some fresh potatoes to the Mayor."

Trudly looked at Folly in confusion. "Potatoes? I thought I told you to say that it was onions!"

"Hey, man, shut up!" A low moan suddenly sounded from the bag, almost like... a moan of pain? "Aw, no! She's stirring!" Wes began glaring at the pair with sheer contempt. "Um... I mean... well..."

"See, I told you not to skimp on the chloroform!"

"SHUT UP! You're not helping!" Folly flailed his arms in an attempt to shut Trudly up. "Anyway, we'll just be-"

**POW!** A powerful left cross from Wes shut Folly up. As Trudly helped him to his feet, Wes stared down at them angrily. "Whatever's in that bag obviously isn't liking it. Now, would you kindly explain what you're doing, or will I have to tell Ivory here to scramble your brains like eggs?" Ivory growled at the Shady Guys, its forehead jewel glowing ominously.

Stifling a gulp, Folly and Trudly looked at each other, then at Wes, then back at each other. After a few seconds, they made their decision and ran back to the truck, starting it up and driving off into the sandy horizon.

Wes snorted as he turned back to the abandoned bag. There were now obvious signs of slight movement beneath the burlap, and soft moans could be heard. For a while, Wes wondered if he should leave it alone, but eventually shrugged and crouched down towards the bag. After a few seconds of jimmying the knot loose, Wes reached inside to feel... hair? And an arm? "Son of a..." Wes pulled the mystery object out of the bag, revealing that 'it' was actually a 'she'. She was a red-headed young girl with her hair done up in short pigtails, looking slightly younger than Wes and wearing a light denim jacket and miniskirt.

Wes helped her into a sitting position near the town wall. She was barely conscious, and her every movement was slow and fatigued. "She's dehydrated," Wes realized. "Ebony, get me some water." Ebony responded with a shout as it pulled a bottle of Fresh Water from the sidecar and ran it over to him. Popping the cap, Wes craned the girl's head back and squirted water in her mouth.

Slowly, the girl began making slight swallowing motions, sending some relief over Wes as she drank the water. Wes continued to give her small sips, letting her take the time to gulp it down. After a while, he stood up and braced her on his shoulder, and soon the two of them were slowly shuffling towards the Pokémon Center.

* * *

><p>For the next fifteen minutes, Wes sat inside the Pokémon Center lobby, impatiently watching the clock. The receptionist had asked that he remain present until she could ensure that the girl was alright, and it was making him tense. He just wanted to leave already. Eventually, the receptionist came up to him with a smile. "It's a good thing you came by when you did, sir," she said. "The girl's conscious now, and she'd like to see you."<p>

"I really have no time," Wes replied. The receptionist glared at him. After a few silent seconds, Wes relented. "Fine, but only for a minute." With a grumble, Wes followed the receptionist downstairs, where he saw the girl sitting on a makeshift bed. She looked a bit tired as she sat sipping water and eating a small package of dried fruit, but was otherwise healthy.

The receptionist left, leaving Wes with his new friend. For a minute, neither of them spoke so much as a word. Eventually, Wes broke the ice. "Hi," he bluntly greeted.

"Hello," she quietly replied. "You... you're the one who helped me, right?"

"Well, the one who did anything, anyway." The girl smiled. "Do you have a name? I can't just call you 'girl', now can I?"

"You're funny," the girl said. "Anyway, my name's Rui Gordon."

"I'm Wes. Just Wes."

"Okay, Just Wes." Rui weakly giggled, getting a glare from Wes. "I'm kidding. Anyway, do you know where I am? Is this Agate Village?"

"This is Phenac City," Wes answered. "Agate Village is all the way out to the northwest. If you were hoping for those idiots to take you there, they missed it by miles."

"Those... idiots?" Rui rubbed her head, trying to remember something. Her eyes then lit up. "Wait!" she shouted. "I remember now! Those two guys, with the weird hair."

"Yeah, what about them?"

"Well, I saw those two in a Pokémon battle, and one of them sent out this yellow chubby thing," recounted Rui. "But it seemed... weird."

"Weird?"

"I'm not sure, but I remember screaming when it..." Rui bit her lips in discomfort. "It rammed someone!"

"If it was a Pokémon battle, then that's expected."

"No, I mean RAMMED someone, and not a Pokémon," she reiterated. "It didn't even seem to care that it hit that guy. Then, they spotted me and... and..." Rui began hyperventilating.

"Calm down!" Wes snapped, to which Rui obliged. "Look, all I know is that those morons were trying to pass you off as a sack of potatoes... or onions... whatever. If you feel concerned, you should take it up with the Mayor. He more or less runs all of Orre, what with his monopoly on the region's water supply. I'm sure he'd be interested to hear your story, but-"

"Oh, please, Wes! Can you at least show me to his office?"

"I really need to be leaving now," came his answer. "The house isn't hard to find on your own."

"I'm not sure if it's safe out there yet," came Rui's almost-pleading insistence. "At least take me there before you go, please, Wes?"

Wes grimaced. "Alright, alright. I'll lead you to Mr. Cade's house, but that's it. Afterwards, if you still need to get to Agate Village, there'll be a bus in the morning."

Rui hopped up on her feet. "Great! Just lead the way!"

_Wasn't she near death twenty minutes ago?_ Wes admonished to himself. _Seriously, that girl's got some energy to be up and about so fast. _Putting his hesitation aside, Wes walked up the stairs and towards the front door, with his new 'friend' following.

* * *

><p>Stepping out of the Pokémon Center, Rui looked around the town in awe. "Wow, this place is beautiful," she exclaimed. "Seriously, I didn't think a desert town could look this nice."<p>

"That's the Mayor for you. He's always fast to flaunt his wealth, even in a place like this." Looking to the source of the voice, Wes and Rui saw a tall young man in a clean white uniform approaching him. "Hello, Wes. Didn't think I'd be seeing you in town again after what happened last time."

"Justy, ix-nay," he silently replied. Rui just looked at him oddly.

"And this must be our guest. Rui Gordon, right?"

"Yes, but how'd you-?"

"The Mayor got a copy of your Trainer's License from the nurse." The youth held out his hand to Rui, which she politely shook. "Anyway, welcome to Phenac City. I'm Justy," he greeted. "When the Mayor heard about what happened, he asked me to show you to his house."

"He did?" Rui smiled. "Oh, that'd be great!"

Wes furrowed his brow. "Why the sudden charity?"

"Dunno. The Mayor's odd like that, but he's a good man. C'mon, I'll show you around." Justy led the way, with Rui following closely. Wes merely tagged along at a short distance, trying not to attract undue attention to himself. People like him weren't exactly smiled upon in such an upstanding town.

As Justy led Rui through the town, he occasionally paused to point out some of the sights. "There's the fountain. Not much to say about it aside from that boy down there." Nearby, a young boy who was running laps around the fountain with his Castform noticed Rui and waved. "He keeps talking about being the first marathon runner of Orre, but I don't think he ever leaves that fountain." Climbing up a small path, Justy pointed to a large spherical building. "That's the Phenac Stadium. They hold small Pokémon competitions in there," he explained. "A favorite is the Knockout Challenge. You take on four Trainers in a row for a cash prize, and the Mayor floats all the bills. However, only Phenac citizens are allowed to compete, since the Mayor dislikes outsiders."

"Sounds like he runs a tight community," Rui bluntly said.

"The Mayor prefers that he knows everybody in this town. Like I said, he's odd like that." With a shrug, Justy led them down to a small domed building at the foot of the Stadium path. "This is the Pre Gym. It's actually named the Prestige Precept Center, but everybody just calls it the Pre Gym. Trainers come here to practice," Justy explained with a hint of pride in his voice. "I run the Gym, so I'm something of a celebrity in this town. If you want, I'll give you a training course."

Rui looked down at her feet. "I... I have no Pokémon," she moped.

_Well, that explains a lot,_ Wes sarcastically thought to himself.

"Really?" Justy _tsk_ed. "Y'know, you really shouldn't be in this region without any Pokémon. It's dangerous out there with all the Gangs running about. The Mayor's ability to keep them from invading this town is what makes him so respected and revered out here, but there's no telling what'll attack you beyond those walls." Continuing the tour, they stopped outside a moderately-sized building. "Speaking of whom, here's the Mayor's house. I'm sure you can handle things from here, so I'm going to head back to the Gym. Be seeing you, kids."

"Bye." Rui waved as Justy walked back to the Pre Gym, then turned to Wes. "So, Wes," she asked, "what was Justy talking about 'last time'?"

"I'm not talking about it," Wes snapped. "Are you going in or no?"

Seeing that Wes wasn't going to explain anything, Rui turned to enter the building. As she approached, she nearly collided with another man as he strode out of the house. "Oh, I'm so sor... ry..." Rui looked up and nearly panicked at seeing the man. He looked pale and sickly, with sunken eyes and flowing white hair. His odd purple outfit didn't help to improve his fearsome image.

"You should watch where you're going," he spoke in a tone that was barely above a whisper. He was just about to walk off when he spotted Wes nearby. "Hmmm..." The wild-haired man gazed uneasily at Wes, then smirked. "I'll see you again soon," he eerily commented.

As he wandered out of the gate, Rui shivered, then turned to Wes. "Friend of yours?"

"I never even met him before," he replied.

As Wes and Rui entered, it didn't take them long to find the Mayor in question as he sat behind a desk in the corner of his living room, currently busy reading a book. He was a short, chubby man with a friendly-looking face, his bald head characterized with two side-patches of grey hair and a mustache The nameplate on his desk clearly identified him: _EVICE S. CADE, Mayor of Phenac City_

Evice looked up and saw his guests. "Oh, hello. How was Justy's tour?" he said as he smiled warmly through his mustache. "That aside, how may I help you children?"

Rui was the first to speak. "You're the Mayor, right? Well, I'd like to report something unusual."

"Oh, please do. Arceus knows we get very little excitement out here in the desert." Evice held his hands together eagerly. "This could actually be interesting to hear."

"Okay, it's like this," Rui began. "I was in Gateon Port, having just got off the boat, and I was waiting around for a transport to Agate Village."

"Ah, yes, the retirement village. Go on."

"Well, out of the corner of my eye, I saw two boys in what looked like a Pokémon battle. One of them sent out a Pokémon, and it... it..." Rui gulped fearfully. "It glowed! It was glowing with... I'm not sure but it felt so... evil. And then it attacked its own Trainer!"

"Ouch! How horrible!" Evice gasped. "Sounds like quite the bad-tempered Pokémon."

_Attacked its own Trainer?_ Wes thought. _If she's talking about those idiots who kidnapped her, then that may explain the limp the one guy had. But a why would a Pokémon attack its own Trainer?_

"Anyway, I screamed, and they turned to see me. I... I don't remember much after that, but apparently they had stuffed me in a sack and were taking me somewhere. I don't know where." Rui turned to Wes and gestured. "But Wes here saved me, and I'm eternally grateful."

"Wes, eh?" The Mayor turned to Wes and smiled. "My boy, peace and tranquility is what all people strive for. Your actions in saving Miss Gordon have brought to light what may be a dangerous threat to the peace." The Mayor stood up, giving him a full view of his plump figure. "Rest assured, as Mayor of Phenac City, I will use all my influence and resources to investigate these kidnappers and any... _evil_ Pokémon they may carry."

Rui bowed in gratitude. "Oh, thank you, Mr. Cade!"

"Please, call me Evice." The portly man blushed humbly. "Now, Miss Gordon, if you could stay here for a while, I'd like to ask you for some more information regarding this heinous turn of events."

"Sure, Mr. Evice," Rui replied. She then turned to Wes. "Thank you, Wes, for all your help."

"Don't mention it," Wes unemotionally answered. Without so much as a second of hesitation, he turned for the door and was gone.

* * *

><p>As Wes walked back to his Rumbler, he was halted in his tracks by a shout. "WES!" The Rogue turned around to see Rui running up to him.<p>

Rolling his eyes, Wes groaned. "What now?" he asked.

"So, that's it, huh?" she pressed. "You're just gonna leave, after all you did for me?"

"Yes, I'm just gonna leave," Wes replied without flinching. "I saved your rear, showed you to the Mayor, and heard your story out. I think that pretty much finishes my business with you."

"Well, where are you going?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm now late for my appointment," he continued. "And if you're trying to talk me into taking you along, then forget it. It's dangerous enough traveling with me as it is."

"It's not that. I just-" Rui suddenly stopped talking as she saw movement over Wes's shoulder. Pointing, Rui drew Wes's attention to the east gate, where a small hoverbike pulled to a stop. Wes then he saw the riders: a trio of Snagems trying to squeeze themselves on the undersized vehicle.

"Rats! Stay behind me," Wes ordered as the Snagems dismounted and approached the couple. "So, Wakin," he casually began, "what brings you all the way out here, especially on that sorry excuse for a bike?"

"Can it, traitor!" Wakin angrily shouted, his trademark sunglasses reflecting Wes's face in their lenses. "Gonzap's furious with you! Here he was, trusting you and everything, and how do you repay him? You blow up our hideout and equipment! Heck, we don't even have any Rumblers left!"

"Wes, what's going on?" Rui asked in confusion. "Who are these guys? Why are they mad at you?"

Wakin suddenly noticed Rui. "Who's the skank?" The Snagem lustfully licked his lips, making the girl shudder. "Listen, babe. We're Team Snagem, and we're the masters of the desert out here in Orre. We're so tough and nasty, crying babies know to shut up when we appear. That's how dangerous we are." Wakin pointed angrily at Wes. "Wes here used to be in our group, but he's since been exiled from Gonzap's favor for betraying us. However, I'm sure he'll let you off lightly if you... I dunno... hand over that Snag Gauntlet you swiped."

"Why?" came Wes's challenging response. "I mean, you've got the Turrets now, right?"

"Your explosions destroyed all our Turrets and Gauntlets!" shouted a second Snagem, who Wes remembered as being named Biden. "That's the only one left, and we're under orders to bring it back."

"Over my dead body."

"Exactly what he said. So cough it up, now!" Wakin leered at Rui. "Who knows? We may just let you keep the skank in exchange."

"Lemme take him!" the third Snagem, named Agrev, called out. "C'mon, Wes! It's on!"

"Break it up, all of you." Everybody froze as the soft-but-stern whisper echoed behind them. It was that of the same wild-haired man from earlier. "You Snagems have no right to be here. Leave now."

Agrev turned and sneered. "You and what army, freak?" Wakin suddenly leaned in and whispered something to Agrev, and the Snagem relaxed his stance. "Hmph... fine!" With collective grumbles, the Snagems piled back onto their scooter.

"Just remember, Wes," Wakin called out as they drove off, "we're not finished with you!" And soon, they were gone.

The wild-haired man snorted in disgust. "Such mongrels," he silently spoke. "I recommend you stay inside the city walls, Miss Gordon."

"Uh... thanks..." But Rui's gratitude went unheard as the man walked away. With the crisis averted, she then turned to Wes, who was glaring fiercely at her.

"You see why I don't want you hanging around me now?" Wes said with a scowl. "I'm not some crusading hero or anything. I'm just a guy who's always getting involved with people like them."

"So, you're one of the bad guys?"

"In a way, yes," was Wes's answer. "I want you to go back to the Mayor's house and stay there until morning. The bus will come, you'll be on your way to Agate, and Mr. Cade will look into your problem. Now, for your safety, do what the guy said and stay put." Wes turned and hopped on his Rumbler and cranked the engines, signifying that the discussion was over. Soon, he had drove off and out of sight.

Standing alone at the city gate, Rui watched the horizon silently. "I don't think you're a bad guy," she softly spoke after a long minute. "If you were, you wouldn't have saved me."


	3. First Encounter

It was close to noon by the time Wes arrived at Pyrite Town's outskirts. Deciding that it would be best not to raise a racket, Wes killed the engine and hopped off. "Watch the bike, boys," he called back to the Eons. "This won't be long." Hiking over the sand, Wes made his way towards a small alcove near the rocks, where an old service elevator sat. He wasn't sure where it went or even if it ran, but he had been told to leave the package near it, and so he played along... or at least he would have were it not for one unexpected snag.

"Son of a gun, I've been stiffed!" What he had been told would be three valuable Nuggets in a small brown pouch waiting for him in front of the elevator was nowhere in sight. Groaning at his bad luck, Wes drew the P*DA to send off a scathing e-mail.

_Where's the money? You said you'd have my payment waiting when I arrived._ _No pay, no goods. And if you're not giving me any compensation for sucking up to Gonzap for a month, then the deal's off._

_~Wes_

His tantrum finished, Wes strapped the package to his back and marched back to the Rumbler. The P*DA suddenly chimed, and Wes opened it expecting to see a response from his client. It wasn't a resposne he was expecting to see:

_Wes, Phenac's under attack! Some weird guys showed up and then the Mayor started shouting for everybody to leave. I don't know why. I didn't know what else to do and then I remembered you. Please help!_

_~Dash_

Wes remembered Dash, the would-be marathon runner of Phenac who had hired him about three months ago. A pack of Riders had mugged him in the middle of the night while he was getting in some laps and had stolen his Castform. It hadn't been easy tracking them down, but Wes came through and reunited the Pokémon with its Trainer, for which Dash was grateful. _But does he really think that I'm gonna just drop everything and rush to their rescue?_ he aimlessly asked himself.

With a sigh, the Rogue started up the engine and doubled back towards Phenac City. _It's not like I've got anything better to do right now._

* * *

><p>"C'mon, man! Let us in!"<p>

"This is our town! We have a right to know what you're doing!"

"For your safety, stay back. Do not make us use force." The blue-suited sentry stood his ground at the south gate, barring a small crowd of citizens out of their city.

As Wes pulled up to the gate and dismounted, Evice ran up to him and furiously shook his hand. "Wes, you're back! Perfect!" he greeted. "It's an outrage! No sooner do you leave when these masked fiends stormed into my office. They demanded that I evacuate the town immediately while they did... well, something. I don't know. They won't let anybody inside, not even me or Justy."

"Where's the girl? She didn't leave with the crowd?"

"They must be holding her captive. Wes, my boy, I ask that you get in there and see what's going on." Evice was on his knees begging, clasping his hands almost pathetically. "I'll pay you handsomely for your services, but you need to hurry."

"That's all I needed to hear." Wes took off in a full-sprint towards the south gate,

Seeing the approaching intruder, the blue-suited guard held his hands up in a futile attempt to stop the him. "Hey, pal! You can't go in here!" he ordered. "This town's under lockdown until further- OOMPH!" Wes leapt into the air and kicked him in the side of his helmet. He was down and out without a second thought.

_"Bluno, report... Bluno? Bluno! What's going on down there?"_ Looking down, Wes saw a small two-way radio on the guard's belt. _"Hold your position! We're coming to check the south gate, over!"_

Ignoring the radio chatter, Wes dashed through the fountain square and up to the Mayor's House. It wasn't hard to figure out that there was something going on inside: the door had been clearly smashed off its sliding hinge. "Ivory, cover me!" Wes ordered as he released the loyal Espeon, who growled in acknowledgement as its master led the charge into the house.

* * *

><p>As Wes entered the Mayor's office for what was now the second time today, the first thing that caught his eye was the enormous red-and-white ball hovering over him. "What the heck?"<p>

"Well, what's this? Who's there?" The ball turned around, and Wes realized that it was actually an afro on the head of a tall, lanky man in a tacky yellow dance outfit. The flamboyant figure briefly lowered his sunglasses and glared at Wes curiously. "Well, what a darling intruder," he cooed in a sickeningly-sweet falsetto. "Coming all this way to poke his nose in where it doesn't belong, I see."

"Wait, I know you," Wes exclaimed as he shook off the intimidation. "You're that dancing loon from Gateon Port who's always mugging the Sailors. Your name was, what, Mirabo or something?"

"I am the great Miror B., and you'd best remember that!" the strange man taunted. "And you must be the uncouth ruffian who's been pushing my boys around. Is that right?" Miror B. glanced towards the Mayor's desk, where Trudly was holding a struggling Rui down.

"That's him, all right!" Trudly spoke up. "He's the one who jumped us and stole the girl!"

Wes snorted. "For the record, you stole her first."

"Potato, potahto." Miror B shrugged. "It doesn't matter. The girl saw something she wasn't supposed to, and we're not at liberty to keep her at liberty because of it."

Before Wes could reply, someone suddenly jumped him from behind and grabbed the package off his back. "Look what I found," Folly announced as he tore the wrapping open, revealing its contents for all to see. It was a full-arm gauntlet, its black metallic finish and orange highlights glinting in the room's light. "Looks like that Gonzap guy was right about there being a surviving Snag Gauntlet," Folly added with pride in his voice.

_Gonzap?_ Wes looked taken aback. _Why would he be in league with this dingbat? What's going on here?_

"Yes, I believe this will do nicely," Miror B. declared as Folly placed the Gauntlet on the desk, then ran to help Trudly in holding down Rui. "But _you_ still will not do, no no no. We can't have little twerps like you running around, spouting off nonsense about evil Pokémon and stolen Snag Machines," he said with a sneer. "But I suppose you _would_ like to know more, now would you? Well, Trudly, why don't you show them... _that?_"

Trudly stepped forward and drew a single Poké Ball. "My pleasure, Boss," he sneered as he threw the ball, releasing its occupant Pokémon in a flash of light. It was a chubby-looking yellow creature: a Makuhita.

Rui's eyes suddenly went wide, and she began screaming. "Wes! That's it!" she panicked as Folly tried to gag her mouth shut. "That's the- mmph... the strange Pokémmpph!"

Wes looked at her oddly. "The what?"

"Makuhita, Shadow Rush!"

Suddenly, the Makuhita began charging forward... at Wes. It rammed him with such incredible force that he was sent sprawling to the floor in pain. Wes grimaced and clutched his chest, fearing that a rib may had been broken. "What... what the heck was that?" he barely managed to gasp.

"Just our pride and joy," Miror B. explained. "A darling little war machine with no heart, no soul, and no mercy. Boys, be a dear and show our friend a good time. I've got to take little miss bright-eyes to her doctor's appointment."

The multi-colored men suddenly entered the house and saluted, though the blue-suited one looked somewhat dazed from his recent boot-to-the-head. "Perimeter secure, Master," the red-suited one saluted. "You may take her out of the city at your discretion."

"Well, looks like that's my cue to leave, though not before I have one final fling." The flamboyant figure struck a disco pose. "Let the music SPIN!" Miror B. picked up a remote from the desk and switched it on, activating the Mayor's sound system. Loud, upbeat dance music began echoing through the house.

Unfortunately for Wes, dancing was the farthest thing from his mind as he pushed himself upright, only to quickly roll off to the side as the Makuhita tried to ram him again. Wincing, he turned to Ivory. "Confusion, now!" Ivory nodded as it shot a psychic spark at the rampaging Pokémon. Super Effective as always, the force of the blow sent Makuhita crashing into the desk, splitting it apart on impact.

"WESSSSSSS!" Wes turned to look and saw Miror B. moonwalking out of the house, followed closely by the three mystery troops as they dragged a screaming Rui with them. "Wes, don't let them take me!"

Wes's distraction gave the Makuhita enough of an opening to pull into another nasty tackle. Ivory instinctively leapt forward to take the blow, only to go flying with a sickening roar of pain as the sheer force of impact nearly tore it in two. "Geez! Return!" Wes quickly recalled Ivory, then dove away again to avoid another painful ramming.

* * *

><p><em>Just outside...<em>

"Let me go, you nut!" Rui flailed her arms in futility as her captors took her through the west gate and into the desert.

"Now now, dearie, don't struggle," Miror B. insincerely replied. "You'll only make it worse for yourself."

"The transport is fueled and ready, sir," announced the red-suited soldier. "We're ready to return to Pyrite."

"I said... LET GO!" With her shout, Miror. B and his troops were suddenly knocked off their feet, as if something shoved them to the ground. Without even pausing to wonder what happened, Rui ran out into the desert as fast as she could. The Mystery Troops were slow to recover from their sandy terrain, allowing her to dash over a dune and out of their sight.

"After her!" the green-suited grunt commanded.

"Don't bother," Miror B. grimly replied. "The desert will eat her up long before we do. Anyway, it's time I return to Pyrite. Go back and make sure the other one is dead, would you please?"

* * *

><p>Back inside the Mayor's House, Wes was having an awful time of it. His chest ached from the crazed Makuhita's earlier attack, while his ears ached from both Folly and Trudly's laughing and that awful, awful music. Ivory was already knocked out, and he didn't dare send out Ebony. Seeing as how Ivory had type advantage over the Fighting-type and was crushed effortlessly, Wes didn't want to know what would happen to a Pokémon with type DISadvantage.<p>

The Makuhita charged forward for another attack. Looking up, Wes saw the light fixture hanging above the room. He instinctively leapt up with all his strength to grab it, ignoring the hot burning sensation of the light bulbs, and swung over the Makuhita's attack. Much to his relief, the Makuhita crashed into the sound system, finally stopping that infernal music. _Well, that's one headache done,_ he admitted as he saw the deranged Pokémon get up again, _but I can't keep this up forever. And if my Pokémon can't stop it, then..._

Out of the corner of his eye, Wes saw something buried in the wreckage of the desk. _The Snag Gauntlet!_ In a flash of genius-under-pressure, Wes grabbed the Gauntlet and hurredly activated it. At once, it hummed with eerie calm. _Now I just need-_ Wes reached for his coat and frowned when he pulled out a single blank Poké Ball. _Only one shot,_ he grunted as he loaded the ball in the gauntlet's hand, allowing it to charge up with a glowing sphere of energy.

"Finish him off! Shadow Rush!" shouted Trudly. Makuhita roared as it stomped forward, ready to tear Wes apart.

Wes grabbed it off the Gauntlet and flung it at Makuhita with all his might. With a flash of light, the Poké Ball opened up and sucked Makuhita inside before locking and falling to the floor. _Stay in! Please stay in!_ Wes tersely thought as the ball wobbled for several seconds. After a bit, it finally stopped with a resounding click! Makuhita was Snagged, much to Wes's pained relief.

As Wes walked forward to pick up the Poké Ball, he looked towards the two idiots and glared. Folly looked nervous, but Trudly looked heartbroken. "You... how could you?" Stammering, the minion cowered behind the wrecked desk. "C'mon, Folly, do something! Make him give it back!"

"Me? Whaddya want me to do?" Folly crossed his arms haughtily. "YOU'RE the favored Peon, remember?"

The Mystery Troops suddenly barged into the house again, instantly spotting Wes as he stared down the two morons. Trudly was the first to notice. "Don't just stand there, you guys," he shouted to the armored trio. "Get him!"

At once, the multicolored figures stepped forward and drew a single Poké Ball each. Wes took a step back, then took off into a full run as the trio pursued. He only barely managed to get out the door as three flashes of light went off behind him, revealing a Bayleef, Quilava, and Croconaw. All of them looked absolutely nasty and ready to kill someone, namely himself.

So Wes did the only thing one could do in a situation like this: run the hell away! He dashed up the stairs like a mad Mankey into the Mayor's room, threw himself through the window and fell down to the outside street. He barely had time to catch his breath from the landing, for the Mystery Troops had apparently heard his exit and were sending their psychotic Pokémon pouring out of the front door.

Wes immediately bolted for the gate and his parked Rumbler. A second later, he was speeding away from Phenac City, putting precious distance between him and everything else. He didn't dare look back as he drove off into the desert.

* * *

><p><em>Elsewhere...<em>

The helicopter roared overhead as it continued to survey Eclo Canyon and the chaos that had ensued. As the Snagem Hideout smoldered, various InterPol officers were running every which way, searching for anything and everything that could be of use to an investigation.

Deep within another part of the canyon, the Snagem trio was carefully skittering through the rocky walls, using the shadows as cover when the helicopters passed over their heads. Eventually, they reached a small cave where Gonzap and his men sat in wait. "Report," the Snagem Boss ordered.

Wakin saluted his boss. "Gonzap, sir! We've just gotten back from Phenac, and... well..." His tone turned downward. "We couldn't get the Gauntlet back."

Gonzap snorted. "That's Wes for you. He's always been a stubborn one," he replied. "Don't worry, 'cause he'll get his soon."

"Yeah, but he wasn't the one that stopped us. It was-"

"Where's Driton?" Gonzap interrupted.

"Dunno," a random Snagem answered. "He should be back from surveying the Hideout by now." Everybody looked around the cave in slow realization. "Aw, no! Those InterPol punks must've got Driton!"

Gonzap bowed his head. "Nothing we can do!"

"But Boss-"

"If we go after him, they'll catch the whole lot of us. There's no way I'm letting them snag Team Snagem." Gonzap growled as he released his Skarmory. "Right now, we need to get out of the canyon without being seen. Skarr, lead the way."

"You're trusting our safe passage to a BIRD?"

"I trust Skarr more than I trust all of you put together. Now shut up!" Everybody obeyed as they followed Gonzap through the cave network.

* * *

><p>Back at the Outskirt Stand, Wes was slumped back on one of the booths, trying to ignore the dull pain in his chest. "You okay, Wes?" asked Willie as he came up to the grouchy Rogue.<p>

"Just peachy," he managed to groan.

"Here, lemme buy you a drink." Willie turned to the barkeep and handed him some money, then took a Lemonade and handed it to Wes. "I know it's not much, but you could use it."

Wes let off a slight smile. "Thanks," he said as he sipped the drink.

"So, who's the girl?"

"What girl?"

"C'mon, it's always about a girl isn't it?" Willie said with a nudge, making Wes slightly wince. "People come in here all the time groaning about girls."

Wes raied an incredulous eyebrow. "What is this, a detective movie?"

"Sorry." Willie shrugged. "Just trying to cheer you up a bit, y'know? The way you came in here, you looked like death warmed over."

"Thanks for the effort anyway." Willie wisely left Wes to his drink as the TV news began playing.

_"We've had an update on the International Police's investigation into the destroyed Snagem Hideout. A single Snagem arrested on the scene has admitted to the explosion being caused by a saboteur in their ranks. Among the items found destroyed in the explosions were several arm-guards and mobile devices, which the Snagem has identified as Snag Machines. Truly insidious devices, capable of literally stealing Pokémon from their own Trainers, these Snag Machines are considered highly illegal and extremely dangerous." _Everybody leaned forward towards the TV as the reporter continued. _"The Snagem claims that one machine, a portable arm-gauntlet model, was stolen by the saboteur. The International Police has requested that any sighting of this device is to be reported to them immediately."_

Watching the news, Wes was thinking hard over everything that had transpired since he left Eclo Canyon. _Man, what did that girl get herself into?_ he asked himself as he continued to play the chain of events of the morning through his head. Every time he thought about it, though, he couldn't figure anything out. Now it was already pushing noon, and Wes hadn't gotten anything done today. At the same time, everything felt like chaos. _First that girl, then the Snagems and that dingbat and now this... this Pokémon nearly kills me._ Wes groaned. _I know death wishes come with being a Rogue, but this isn't what I expected at all._

Speaking of that Pokémon, its Poké Ball was currently resting in Wes's coat. He didn't want to open it, not when the Makuhita inside could suddenly and without warning attack him and/or anybody else in the Stand.

And what did Gonzap have to do with all this? That was the biggest question on Wes's mind, for the thought of Team Snagem being associated with someone as nuts as Miror B. was completely unheard of. Add it all together, and it was clear that something was going on in Orre. Something big, obviously not good, and definitely foolish to ignore.

Wes sighed as he finished off his drink. He didn't consider himself anything remotely resembling self-righteous or heroic. His life was pretty much going from one place to another, doing jobs, getting paid, and trying not to tick off the wrong people. However, if there was one thing that Rogue Wes excelled at, it was getting answers by any means necessary. He wanted answers to the questions that just kept nagging at his thoughts, and if it meant having to put off his delivery...

"Barkeep!" Wes suddenly shouted. "I need Poké Balls!"

Gamps laughed. "Are you kidding? There's no Pokémon to catch out here."

"I didn't say anything about catching _wild_ Pokémon." One look into Wes's steely gaze was all it took to make the barkeep understand, and so he crouched down beneath the counter to search for the objects in question.

As the barkeep rummaged, Wes turned to his barstool and picked up the Snag Gauntlet. Its pitch-black metal finish and orange highlights spread an ominous feeling over Gamps and Willie as Wes strapped it onto his left arm and adjusted the shoulder guard. Soon, the young Rogue stood over them, the Snag Gauntlet and his jacket giving him a truly menacing appearence.

The barflies were speechless, but Wes paid no attention as he strode back to the bar counter and leaned forward. A second later, the barkeep pulled up an old dusty crate filled with Poké Balls and dropped it in front of him. "I'm not gonna talk about what you intend to do with these," he said, "but if anybody asks, you didn't buy them here."

"Thank you," Wes replied as he sorted through the crate's contents. Most of the Poké Balls were of the basic red-and-white variety, though there were a few Great Balls and even a Premier Ball in the pile. Leaving the barkeep some money, Wes took the Poké Balls and dumped them into his backpack, then left the Stand for his Rumbler. _No better way to squeeze answers than to snag a few Pokémon from some unlucky saps,_ he told himself. _I mean, it worked well enough for the Snagems._

As he approached the Rumbler, Wes chucked the backpack into the sidecar. "Ouch!" His calm mood suddenly broken, Wes reached into the sidecar to pull up the source of the noise by her hair.

"YOU!" he shouted as Rui waved innocently. "What are you doing here?"

"I escaped and hid here," she explained. "After what happened in the Mayor's house, it seemed like no place was safe anymore. I figured that my best chances were with you."

"I'm not letting you stay!"

"Oh, please, Wes? If they find me, I... I don't know what they'll do." Rui grabbed Wes by his coat's collar and stared fearfully. "Please?"

"No!" he said as he pushed her off onto the sand. "Look, I helped you enough today. You should be safe here until the bus comes, but I'm heading out _alone!_" Wes climbed onto the Rumbler and started the engine, but Rui suddenly got up and crawled into the sidecar. "Get out," he ordered, trying not to get truly angry. "I mean it. I have no time to be babysitting you."

Rui crossed her arms. "I know something about those guys who mugged me!" she declared.

"Know what?"

"That guy with the weird hair, he said something about a place called Pyrite."

"Pyrite Town?" Wes took a moment to think about the lead, then nodded. "Thanks for the tip. Now get out."

"No!" Rui reasserted. "Not until you take me to Agate Village."

"I said get out!" Wes drew his Poké Balls and released Ebony and Ivory. "Boys, escort the lady out of my bike." The Eons suddenly ran over to Rui and glared at her, then at Wes. After a few silent seconds, they pounced on Wes and pinned him to the ground, then proceeded to nudge and tickle their unlucky master.

"Hey, get off! C'mon you guys!" Wes grunted incoherently as Rui laughed, amused at how he was being so easily subdued. "Fine, fine!" he finally said in resignation. "You lousy fuzzballs." The Eons nodded to each other, knowing that they got their point across. "Okay, I'll swing by Agate and drop you off. Happy?"

Wes grudgingly climbed onto his bike and started it up. "Thank you," Rui spoke.

"Better cover your eyes," Wes said as he placed his shades over his face. Rui nodded as she reached into the foot of the sidecar and pulled out a box of Go-Goggles. Before she could open it, Wes suddenly snatched them away. "Those are not for you!" he threatened.

"Who are they for, then?"

"I don't know yet, but they're sure as hell not for you."


	4. A Shadowy Clue

_Location unknown..._

_"We've searched Phenac and the surrounding desert twice over, and still nothing,"_ announced the red-suited soldier over the videophone. _"If she's still wandering the desert, she's most likely dead by now."_

Within the dark room, a single figure stood before the monitor, his figure cloaked in shadow. "No excuses," he calmly spoke without any trace of emotion. "I won't be calm until the girl is confirmed to be nothing more than a corpse. She is to be found and brought to me... alive if possible."

The Peon shuddered at the tone of his superior's voice, but held his composure. _"Yes, sir, but what about the Rogue?"_ he added. _"The one the Peon said stole the Makuhita?"_

For a tense minute, the mystery man twisted what looked to be a long, crooked length of hair in front of his face, as if in deep thought, then stopped and shurgged. "He's no threat," he finished as he turned off the monitor. "No threat at all..."

After some further thought, he reactivated the videophone and called a different number. "Nascour? It's me. Change of plans: I'm moving my production timetable up by one hour," he announced. "I've a feeling that we're going to have to accelerate things a little bit to compensate for... possible complications."

* * *

><p><em>Just outside Pyrite Town...<em>

Over by a small outcropping of rock, Wes gazed over his parked Rumbler as it sat there, thick smoke rising from the engine. "Just my luck," he griped. "Of all the places that the engine could die on me, it just had to be here." He turned to Rui. "I swear, it seems like everything goes wrong when you're around."

Seated in the sidecar, Rui peered over her seat to glare at Wes. "Oh, so now you're blaming me for your engine? Very classy," she taunted.

"I wish, but at the speeds this baby can hit, a high-velocity pebble can do a lot more than pop a tire," the Rogue explained. "The engine's gonna need some patching up before we can go anywhere."

"Well, go get it fixed!" complained Rui. "I wanna get to Agate Village already!"

"Engine repair is out of my league. I'm gonna need to find a mechanic." Wes released Ivory to guard his passenger. "Stay here with Ivory and I'll be back."

"Oh, no. You're not ditching me that easy, you know." Rui hopped out of the sidecar and ran up to Wes. "Until I'm at Agate, I'm sticking with you."

Wes calmly glanced at her with a foreboding gaze. "This town isn't known for being very kind towards innocent girls like you," he warned, trying not to lose his temper. "I really, _really_ think you should stay here."

"I'm following you whether you like it or not."

Wes grit his teeth in annoyance. His tough guy act usually worked well enough to get people to shut up and listen, but the Rogue was not used to people showing spine around him, especially outsiders to Orre, and it was beginning to tick him off. Part of him was greatly reconsidering finding a new burlap sack to stuff her in.

Instead, Wes simply grimaced in resignation. "Fine! But stay close and don't wander off." Rui and Ivory quickly followed Wes through the town gates. "And for future reference, don't be giving me orders," he added.

"Only if you agree to stop acting like a macho bully all the time," Rui replied.

"I'll consider it."

* * *

><p>Pyrite Town was said to be the town of earth, wind, and money. The earth and wind were in abundant supply, given the town's surroundings, but the money... not so much. Those who had tried to mine the nearby cliffs and canyons learned this the hard way as their dreams of wealth and fame were inevitably dashed by their inability to find anything of value.<p>

Nowadays, Pyrite was a refuge for the dregs of society. Half-rusted buildings hid the seedy side of Orre's populace from he heat, while worn-out stretches of pavement were strode upon by unsavory characters of all types. People in Phenac City knew wisely to stay out of Pyrite, for there was no telling who'd decide to pick a fight.

Within the largest building, a heated debate was in progress. A young, silver-haired man slammed his fist on the desk he was leaning on as he shouted in the strongest voice he could manage. "How much more are you going to take from him, boss?" he roared. "You know they're just using you and the Colosseum for whatever racket they've got running."

Across from him, his boss sat morosely. He was a big bear of a man, with large, pronounced muscles and a chiseled chest that his too-tight T-shirt highlighted. His hair and moustache was neatly trimmed to show how miserable he looked. "Answer me, dammit!" the youth continued.

"..."

The youth's frustration only continued to grow. "What happened to the Duke of Pyrite?" he pressed on, poking the man in his chest fiercely. "Did that dancing dingbat suck the soul out of you? Is that it?" Still no response. "Fine! If you and Sherles won't do anything, then I will!" The youth left the building in a huff, uncaring of the young girl sitting in the corner. Baring witness to the whole argument, she got up and walked towards a nearby bookshelf.

As the youth marched out of the building and out onto the streets, he passed by several Trainers who were in the middle of a Pokémon battle, with others hooting and hollering loudly, almost to the point of rioting. Just off the path, another scene was playing out nearby. "Aw, c'mon. Give a man a break," complained another young man with green hair and a dark bodysuit. "I don't know nuthin'."

"I'm not playing with you, boy," replied the young man's addressor, a uniformed police officer. "There's been a lot of rumors about ne'er-do-wells like you using... let's say strange Pokémon. If I find out that you're conning me... POW!"

"Oh, I would never think of lying to precisely one-half of Orre's prestigous law enforcement division."

"Very well. But I've got my eye on you." The officer marched away, pausing to glare at the young man from over his shoulder. "Step out of line and you'll be spending your nights in lockup."

The Rogue spread his hands outward. "I've got nothing to hide." As the cop marched off, he sneered at him from behind his back. "It ain't my fault you're too stupid to see it," he muttered under his breath.

And finally, from outside the door of a small hut, an elderly old woman gazed at her town and sighed, shaking her head in shame and defeat. "The Shadow grows only stronger with each day," she absently whispered. "The light will come... but when? And from whom?"

* * *

><p>As Rui strolled behind Wes, she looked around her surroundings in a mixture of awe and pity. "I didn't think a town could look so... wrecked," she absently commented.<p>

"This place used to be a mining town, back when the League had an interest in developing Orre," explained Wes. "But when the money dried up, they left the region. Those that remained had to fend for themselves. Eventually, they created their own little gangs."

"Gangs?"

Wes pointed towards a boy and girl in cowboy-styled attire. "See those two over there? They're called Riders. They get their name from their love of fast hoverbikes and high-speed mayhem." He then pointed to a pair of Trainers wearing old mining outfits and hats. "They're Hunters, basically scavengers and pickpockets who're always looking for ways to make a buck or two. And these two here are Chasers." Wes gestured to two more Trainers, a boy in a form-fitting purple bodysuit and a girl in a tubetop and spandex pants. "I'm not sure why they call themselves that, but I think it's because they'll chase you 'til you drop dead if you tick them off."

"Sounds like they're close." Rui replied.

"Closer than brothers, in many cases."

"And what about you?"

"I'm a Rogue. I don't side with one Gang, but they all come to me to do the things they themselves can't," Wes continued. "Basically, the Gangs are always at odds with each other for some reason, whether it's turf, money, or Pokémon. Of course, the one thing they all agree on is that they don't like Snagems. Claims that they give the Gangs a bad name." The Rogue turned towards Rui. "I'm telling you this so that you know what you're up against here in Orre. That way, you won't be making stupid mistakes like, say, attracting those two boneheads who nabbed you... or stowing away in someone's sidecar."

Rui bowed her head in shame. "I said I was sorry."

"Stay close. Don't talk to anybody, don't walk towards anybody, don't even look at anybody." Rui only nodded in agreement as she followed Wes through the town. Just down the street, she could see what appeared to be the city square, where several Gang members were lazily sitting about in what few shady spots they could get. A few of them were arguing over one such spot at the foot of a giant windmill, and they looked like they were ready to come to blows.

As the pair turned the corner, a loud voice called out from an alleyway. "Well, now. Look what the Meowths dragged in!" A quick glance down the alley showed that the source of the voice was a girl Chaser, and she was glaring daggers at Wes. "You remember me, right? Your old gal-pal Emok?"

"How should I know?" came Wes's calm remark. "You Gangs are always wearing those perfectly identical uniforms."

Emok struck a lewd pose and smiled. "At least we know what it takes to be sexy, unlike your wallflower friend over there."

"WALLFLOWER?" Rui looked almost ballistic. "Where do you get off calling me a wallflower?"

"Hey, keep out of this!" snapped Wes.

But Rui wasn't listening. "C'mon, Wes! Clobber her! Stomp her to bits!"

Emok only laughed. "Don't act so serious, kid. I'm just playing. A girl like me doesn't get much excitement out here in the desert." Ignoring Rui's outburst, Emok returned her gaze to Wes. "In any case, so long as you're here, I think it's time you pay me back."

Wes now looked confused. "For what?"

"That DevonCo. engine you got me two weeks ago, silly," Emok replied. "It ran once, then blew up my bike."

"Buyer beware." Wes crossed his arms.

"Don't play cute with me!" The Chaser lurched forward, facing Wes directly. "I want recompensation. 20,000 PokéDollars for the engine, and 150,000 for the bike."

"I don't have the money on me now, but if you can hold out for a few days-"

"I've been waiting for a month!" With a shove, Emok sent Wes stumbling to the ground. "Y'know what? Forget it! I'm just gonna take it out of your hide!" Almost as if they could smell the impending conflict, the nearby Gang members ran up to Wes and Emok and formed a half-circle, trapping them and Rui in a makeshift ring. "C'mon, Rogue, hit me with your best shot. Or are you too chivalrous to hit a girl?"

Emok threw the first punch, nailing Wes in the shoulder. However, she then noticed the shoulder guard he was wearing, as evidenced when she reared back and clutched her hand in pain. Wes responded by dropping to the ground and throwing a sweeping kick at her feet, sending Emok to the ground.

As she laid there wincing, Wes glared at her. "Chivalry is dead," he taunted back. Emok replied by tackling Wes to the ground and trying to strangle him. The Gangs were now shouting bloody murder as Rui watched fearfully, afraid for Wes's life.

"Alright, what's all this racket?" The loud voice made everybody turn to see a grey-haired policeman holding a megaphone. "You people know that the area around the police station is a strict no-fighting zone."

Emok sat up and pointed to Wes. "He started it!"

"You did not, you liar!" Rui shouted back.

Wes shot another glare at her. "I said to be quiet!"

"All of you, break it up! Now!" the Chief ordered. At once, the Gangs scattered from the alley, leaving Wes, Rui, and Emok standing there. "Miss, get out of the alley or I'll have you arrested for loitering. As for you two..." The Chief paused to glance over Wes and Rui, then nodded. "You two are coming with me to the station."

"But... but we didn't do anything..." Rui's protest did no good, unfortunately. As the Chief led him and Rui away, Wes briefly turned back to see Emok looking back angrily.

"You know, between the way you treat me and her, you'll never win the hearts of ladies," she called out before turning towards the canyon bridge.

* * *

><p>The police station was tiny, hardly the size needed to impose authority over such a lawless town. There was barely enough room for the front desk and a trio of holding cells sitting in the far corner of the station. Regardless, Wes and Rui managed to squeeze into a pair of chairs as they waited for the Chief to come back inside (he had to abruptly run outside to chase off some graffiti-spraying kids).<p>

Behind the desk sat several WANTED posters despicting various Gang members. One especially-large poster took up a third of the wall, and with good reason: it was a poster of Gonzap. Rui recognized the name quite easily. "He's the one those bald men mentioned, right?" she asked, getting a silent nod of confirmation from Wes. "Well, that's one guy I wouldn't want to meet."

"Pray you never have to." Wes absently responded, his gaze transfixed on a small poster in the corner of the bulletin board. _WANTED: Rogue Wes. Recognized by a distinctive blue coat. Considered dangerous._ Wes scowled at the poster. _Terrible photo,_ he observed, noting the horribly out-of-focus figure that barely showed his face.

The outside door then opened and the Chief stepped inside the station, shouting a string of curses at what Wes presumed were more Gang members outside before closing the door tight. "Sorry about all that, ma'am," he apologized to Rui. "These Gangs just never seem to take a hint." Taking his seat behind the desk, the Chief gestured for Wes and Rui to step forward. "Anyway, Miss Gordon, you'll have to forgive my abruptness, but I needed to get you off the streets to relative safety." He offered his hand to shake Rui's. "My name is Chief Sherles, and I run Orre's police force... all two members of it."

Before Wes could respond, he felt something crash into him from behind. Turning, he saw a uniformed officer spinning in place, as if he had no idea where he was running. Finally, he managed to stand still long enough to salute. "Chief, I'm back from my beat," he announced to Wes. "No new information on the rumors, though there was a street fight just outside the..."

"Why don't you tell me something I don't know for a change, Johnson?"

Confused, Johnson looked over Wes's shoulder to see the Chief glaring back at him. "Oh, there you are, Chief! Heh... always such a kidder." The slightly-scatterbrained officer grinned sheepishly. "Terribly sorry, sir," he said to Wes.

"As I was saying, Johnson and I are the region's entire police force, though for obvious reasons, our jurisdiction is usually focused on Pyrite," explained Sherles. "Mayor Cade in Phenac told us about your kidnapping and the rumor of the dangerous Pokémon you claim you saw."

"It's no rumor, sir," Rui responded. "I saw a dangerous Pokémon that attacked its Trainer."

"Yeah... very dangerous." Wes discreetly rubbed his side, still feeling a little sore from the blows the Makuhita inflicted on him.

"And then I was kidnapped over it... twice!" she continued. "If it wasn't for Wes saving me, I don't know what would've become of me."

"Well, I wish I could help you, but we have our own problems. The Gangs have been going Aipom-spit over the past few weeks." Wes could sense the utter exhaustion in Sherles's tone. "We've have endless reports of them vandalizing our station, starting drunken fights out on the streets, keeping the locals up at all hours of the night with constant hooting and hollering, and more. It's driving us to the brink of collapse."

"There's even been word that they've been coming into possession of strange and dangerous Pokémon," Johnson added, "but when we go and ask them about it, they just... ohhh, I'd better not say it in front of the lady." Collecting his composure, Johnson continued. "I wish Duking would get up and help us already."

"Duking?" Rui scratched her head. "Who's he?"

"He runs the Colosseum across the canyon," answered Sherles. "Duking is about the only person anybody in this town respects, but he hasn't lifted a finger since he made that deal with that development firm."

"Development firm?"

Wes cut in for her. "You mean the ones building that eyesore of a tower just west of Phenac, right?"

"The same. They've been buying up land left and right since they got here last year," the Chief explained. "Why would anybody want to build a tower in a desert? I mean, who's gonna visit it, sand mites?"

"I wouldn't know." Wes shrugged. "So far, my day's been spent playing babysitter to this walking hazard." He shot a glare towards Rui, who only glared back.

"Wes, if it were in any other circumstances, I'd have you sitting in a cell by now, but the Mayor told me about what happened in Phenac and how you helped save Miss Gordon." Sherles leaned forward to look Wes straight in the eye. "I'm willing to cut you a break for her sake, so do yourself and the girl a favor and leave town while you can."

A new voice suddenly shouted out from the direction of the holding cells. "Yeah, man! Do what the guy says!" Briefly stunned by the voice, Wes and Rui turned towards the cells to see two idiots they never expected to see again: Folly and Trudly. "You're already blacklisted for kicking our rears as it is."

"Oh, yes. I recently caught these two scofflaws lurking about the station," Johnson explained with pride in his voice. "They thought they could evade my keen eyes? Well, POW! I showed them!"

"Don't flatter yourself, man!" sneered Trudly. "We only let you arrest us 'cause we're not taking our chances with the Boss!"

Wes snickered. "I take it he's upset at you losers for screwing up?"

"Dude, you have no idea how scary Miror B. can be when he gets upset," Folly meekly spoke. "We've worked for him long enough to know."

"And besides, Miror B. owns this town!" Trudly added. "If you think you're going to just come up to him and tell him off, then you might as well be digging your own grave! Compared to the Boss, we're nobodies."

Wes snickered again. "You bums are already nobodies," he retorted as he left the station. Rui paused only to glare at her prior kidnappers, then followed Wes out the door.

Back in the cell, Folly looked at Trudly expectantly. "You think he's gonna leave Pyrite?"

"Who cares?" Trudly crossed his arms angrily. "Either way, I hope he gets it for what he did to my Makuhita!"

"Hey, shaddup over there!"

Trudly turned at the voice. "And who's gonna make us?" As soon as he saw the tough-looking muscular man lying on the cot and glaring angrily, though, Trudly wisely held his tongue. "Never mind..."

* * *

><p>Coming out of the station, Rui jogged to catch up to Wes. "So, where are you going now?"<p>

"I think it's time I pay Cail a visit."

"Friend of yours?"

"Not really," Wes explained. "Cail's another Rogue. Not the most trustworthy guy, but he's usually hip on local gossip." Deciding not to question Wes's logic, Rui simply nodded.

The search didn't take long. Over by the town gate, a sleazy-looking Trainer with green hair and a sneaky expression was seen leaning against a cliffside. Wes raised his arm to call him out. "Yo, Cail!"

"Hey, Wes, m'man!" Cail instantly responded. Not surprisingly, the first thing he saw was Rui. "Whoa, who's the babe?" he lecherously asked, getting a nasty glance from the girl in question. "First Emok and now her? You sure do know how to pick 'em!"

"Shut up for a moment and listen," Wes ordered as he stepped between the two. "What do you know about Miror B.?"

"Not a thing." Wes reached into his coat and held up a small wad of PokéDollars. Grinning greedily, Cail instantly swiped the money and pocketed it.

"Now, let's try again," Wes announced, "what do you know about Miror B.?"

"That dingbat? He's a nobody..." answered the Rogue, "or at least he was until he suddenly stormed into Duking's place and curb-stomped him. Since then, he's been running Pyrite Colosseum. Dunno what he's doing, but you could just as easily find out for yourself."

"How so?" Wes held up a few more PokéDollars, which Cail quickly snatched up.

"Just sign up for the next Knockout Challenge. You'll find out if you win."

Wes nodded. "Alright, perhaps I will."

"Not so fast, Wes." Cail grabbed Wes's arm. "You haven't yet fought the gatekeeper of Pyrite, now have you? Well, I can't just let you go until we've had a round, now can I?"

"What kind of racket are you pulling now?" asked Wes.

"Guy's gotta eat, so I battle anybody who comes into town." Cail looked eager to fight. "Wager is 600."

Wes groaned, but nodded. "Fine."

With a grin of wild abandon, Cail pulled two Poké Balls and flung them out. "Machop! Ralts! Here we go!" Twin flashes of light revealed said Pokémon, already eager to fight.

"Let's go, boys!" Drawing his own Poké Balls, Wes dispatched Ebony and Ivory. The type advantage was clearly obvious, as proven when both Eons immediately launched their respective attacks. Ten second later, Machop and Ralts had collapsed onto the ground, out cold.

"Aw, come ON!" Cail protested. "You know I can never beat those two!"

"Hey, you made the challenge!" argued Wes. "Stick it out for once!"

"Okay, fine!" Recalling the two Pokémon, Cail drew another Poké Ball. "Furret, it's your turn!"

Another flash of light and a new Pokémon stood on the field. Though it looked, for all purposes, unimpressive, it somehow managed to get Rui agitated. "Wes! The Furret!" she screamed.

Wes turned his head. "What about the Furret?"

"Furret, Shadow Rush!"

_Shadow Rush?... Aw, crap!_ Wes was just barely able to drop into a roll as the Furret nearly rammed him. _Not this again!_

Deciding that he wasn't going to let it linger this time, Wes recalled Ivory and drew a different Poké Ball. "Makuhita, go!" With a flash, the Makuhita appeared, getting another squeal from Rui as she recognized its cruel presence. "Makuhita, Arm Thrust!" he ordered, resulting in... nothing. "I said Arm Thrust!" No response. The Makuhita merely stood there unflinching. "Hey, what gives? You nearly kill me and now you won't even take an order?"

"Furret, Shadow Rush!" The Furret instantly obeyed, more out of eagerness to destroy than out of any real sense of obedience towards Cail. It struck the Makuhita dead-center in its gut, causing it to topple backwards. "Great! Do it again!" Cail ordered.

Seeing no better alternative, Wes called out, "Makuhita, Shadow Rush!" At those words, the Pokémon suddenly snapped to action and made a dashing tackle at the Furret. The blow was brutal, nearly crushing the other Pokémon completely against the ground.

"Makuhita, that's enough." But it wasn't listening as it continued to ram the Furret against the ground. "Makuhita! Stand down!" With a jerk, the Makuhita immediately paused and looked around itself, as if coming out of a trance. Wes quickly recalled the dangerous Pokémon, then noticed the nearly-unconscious Furret. Eh, what the hey?

Wes drew another Poké Ball and clamped it in his Gauntlet, causing an incredible glowing effect to surround the sphere. Both Cail and Rui were transfixed by the light-show, wondering what was happening. A few seconds later, they got their answer as the glowing Poké Ball was thrown at the Furret and pulled it inside. Three shakes later, it locked with a resounding CLICK!

Cail stood there agape, unable to believe what he just saw. "You... how'd you... how could you?"

_Whoa!_ Rui silently gasped in shock. _Did he just... steal Cail's Pokémon?_

"Gimme back my Furret!" Cail shouted. "Police! POLICE!" But Johnson was already long out of earshot, leaving Cail moping on the ground. "Man... and after everything I had to go through to get that lousy thing, you just go and steal it from me... What a drag!"

Wes approached Cail with a stony expression. "Where did you get it from?" he demanded.

"I got it from the Colosseum across the bridge," Cail morosely answered. "Miror B. and his men have been giving out Shadow Pokémon like candy to anybody who can win a Knockout Challenge."

Rui looked curious at hearing the name. "Shadow Pokémon?" she asked.

"Sounds like a tough name, doesn't it? At least, that's what Miror B. claimed," continued the Rogue. "At first I thought it was awesome, having a Pokémon that wasn't afraid to get rough with other Trainers, but they don't ever listen to you or use proper attacks. All they do is mindlessly cave their heads in with that so-called Shadow Rush. That's the last time I get taken in by that crazy-haired fruitbat!"

"Cail, these... what do you call them... Shadow Pokémon are dangerous," Rui declared. "You need to tell Chief Sherles about it before someone gets killed."

"BAH! Like I care about those uptight cops!" Still sitting on the ground, Cail turned away and crossed his arms in an infantile tantrum. "Just leave me alone..."

Wes shook his head. "He's not gonna talk anymore. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Wes was silent as he calmly marched back outside the town towards the Rumbler, but Rui was now asking questions incessantly. "Wes, did you actually steal that Pokémon?" she demanded. "And wasn't that the same yellow Pokémon we saw in Phenac?" Seeing that he wasn't answering, Rui shot him one final, burning question. "Wes, are you a thief?"<p>

Amused, Wes chuckled at Rui's statement of the obvious. "I prefer the term 'redistributor'," he answered. "But even if I was, what are you going to do about it? Report me to Sherles?"

"I'm almost tempted to, seeing as how you don't seem to care that you're taking away Pokémon from other Trainers." Rui's expression turned angry, now upset that her 'shining knight' had been keeping this major secret from her. "I mean, I don't mind that you did a few bad things when you were with those Snagems, but you can't just _steal_ a Pokémon. That's, like, breaking the number-one rule of training: Don't Be A Thief!"

Wes turned to face Rui, his expression unflinching. "First of all, that rule means jack-nothing out here when you've got two useless cops and a lazy Mayor running the entire law-enforcement division," he declared. "Second, being able to shut up and do my job is the reason why I've survived as long as I have. If surviving means breaking a few bones or a few hearts, then that's the other guy's problem."

**POW!** Rui suddenly slugged Wes across the chin, sending him spinning towards the ground. "Y'know what your problem is?" she shouted back. "You're so used to acting without conscience that you need somebody to rope you in. And until I'm back in Agate, that's going to be my job. I'm not going to be standing around watching you steal Pokémon without giving so much as a damn towards who suffers over it."

"You've got a lot of brass, trying to tell me what to do," Wes repiled as he rubbed his jaw. "But you've also got one heck of a punch." Standing up, Wes reluctantly relaxed his expression. "Alright," he said with a sigh, "what is it you want?"

"First of all, I want to see those two Pokémon you stole," came her answer. "All this talk about Shadow Pokémon has made me curious now."

* * *

><p>Back by the Rumbler, Wes and Rui were sitting in the currently-immobile vehicle, giving themselves a wide berth from Makuhita and Furret. Almost as immediately as they were released, they began ramming and clawing each other without mercy. Wes merely watched the fight in boredom and confusion, but Rui's expression was constantly shifting from fearful to curious to full of sorrow as her unique vision showed her every grisly detail.<p>

"Those poor Pokémon," Rui solemnly spoke. "They're not meant to fight, not like this."

"So they're a little more violent than normal," Wes replied. "I'm not seeing what the big deal is."

"I am," Rui replied, still staring at the Pokémon. "There's some kind of energy coming from them. It feels dark and cold and full of hate... like it's literally poisoning the Pokémon's hearts from the inside." Rui squinted her eyes, fighting back a shudder as she did so. "I see something else, too... a small spark of light. It's not much, but it feels like a good type of energy, and it's trying to fight the bad energy."

Wes squinted his eyes. "Well, I'm not seeing this at all," he said with a shrug. "But is this what you saw when you got captured in Gateon?"

"I know it was! Just seeing that Makuhita made me tremble in fear, and I'm still shaking now." Seeing that she was done looking, Wes recalled the Pokémon as Rui rubbed her chin in deep thought. "Wes, there's bound to be many more of these... Shadow Pokémon," she eventually spoke up, "especially if they're coming from this town."

"And exactly what do you expect me to do about it?" sarcastically taunted Wes.

Rui began rubbing her chin again. After a full minute, her eyes lit up in eagerness. "I've got it! Wes, I know this is going to sound a bit hypocritical after my outburst, but if you're going to steal Pokémon, then you should at least steal the ones that need our help." she explained. "I can see the Shadow Pokémon, you can... _take_ them, and then we can work towards helping them get better."

"How so, genius?"

"I... I haven't really figured that part out yet," Rui replied. "But I'm sure I'll think of something. However, you have to promise me that you're not going to steal any other Pokémon."

"And what's going to make me?" Rui suddenly glared angrily at Wes, and the Rogue could almost see what looked like blue flames flashing in her eyes. For some reason, Wes felt himself feeling a bit nervous towards the seemingly-harmless girl, and so he nodded calmly. "All right..." he said as he raised his right hand, as if swearing in court. "I promise that I will not steal any... non-Shadow Pokémon." Rui smiled, or at least until Wes quickly added. "At least until I've ditched you."

**POW!**


	5. Dark Deals in Pyrite

_A/N: I will not be describing every Shadow Pokémon battle and/or snag in detail, only those that figure into the plot (i.e. Admin battles). Unless mentioned otherwise, Wes will be assumed to have snagged every Shadow Pokémon encountered up to the current point in the story, barring the three Johto Starters._

* * *

><p>Morning rose over Orre, and with it the temperatures. The Pyrite locals were already picking out their designated shady spots and fighting for the best ones. Wes failed to notice as he slept in the seedy hotel room he had bought for the night.<p>

For Wes, it had been a rough night. He had spent the evening wandering around picking fights with Gang Trainers just to see if Rui could spot any Shadow Pokémon held on their person. Needless to say, they did not like having their Pokémon poached, and a few of them had retaliated with force. By the time Wes was ready to sleep for the night, he was sore from repeated beatings.

Which brought up the other problem. "Wakey-wakey, Wes," Rui cheerfully greeted as she came into his room and poked him in the shoulder. Wes groaned in pain, more from his unwelcome partner's exuberence than from his soreness. "It's a new day and I'm not letting you sleep it away."

Turning over with a groan, Wes slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. _Geez, Wes, talk about pathetic,_ he told himself. _You're, what, how old? And you're letting this girl boss you around? For shame._

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Wes had showered and slipped on his pants and boots. He hadn't yet put on his jacket, but was currently wearing a well-worn gray T-shirt. The grease smears and burn marks gave Wes a grimy look as he used the room's complementary PC to sort out his recent snags.<p>

"Flaaffy, Misdreavus, Skiploom, Noctowl, Quagsire, and Slugma," Rui counted off as she sat down on the bed nearby. "So far, these are all the Shadow Pokémon we've found in the town square alone, all exhibiting the same symptoms. And all their Trainers no doubt itching to kill us for what you've done."

"Hey, you were the one who was shouting 'Oh, a Shadow Pokémon!' every time one came up," came Wes's snappy retort.

Rui glared back. "At least my plan's a little more streamlined than your original 'Gotta steal 'em all' approach."

"Well, if you're so against me being a thief, then why are you roping me into stealing these Dark Pokémon or whatever they call them?"

"We're performing a service," Rui explained. "The more Shadow Pokémon we can get off the streets, the less chance there is of anybody getting hurt over them. Plus we may even figure out how to change them back to normal."

Wes just grunted as he went back to the PC. He had kept Slugma, Noctowl, and Flaaffy for himself, whereas the rest were in PC Storage. Between them, the Eons and Makuhita, his new team seemed well-rounded for the time being. Of course, the fact that they couldn't use any other attacks but Shadow Rush was somewhat limiting in their usefulness.

However, it was during Wes's most recent fight yesterday that something happened. He had sent out Makuhita to take on a Trainer, and it nearly went psycho again when Wes ordered it to Shadow Rush. After a full minute of calling out to it, the Pokémon calmed down and used an Arm Thrust attack instead. Rui later claimed that Makuhita's dark aura had started to decrease in intensity. Whatever they were doing with this Shadow Pokémon, it seemed to be working, and so Rui suggested that Wes keep using other Shadow Pokémon to see if the effect would continue.

Of course, Wes would have much preferred to snag Pokémon in his own way: indiscriminately. He wanted what _he_ felt was worth taking, not Rui. But of course, whenever he loaded up a Poké Ball for the snag, she would always glare at him with those burning-blue eyes of hers. That was all the hint he needed to rethink his intent.

"There. Done." Switching off the PC, Wes grabbed his jacket, put it on, and equipped the Snag Gauntlet. "Look, girl, I'm not your servant," he announced. "I'm only going along with this because one of those things nearly killed me. It's not something I'm turning my back on, but I'm not doing this for you, either."

"Fair enough." Rui grabbed her jacket. "Shall we go?"

After paying the room fee, the first thing Wes had done was to make sure no one had stolen his Rumbler over the night. Thankfully, he had it parked in an out-of-the-way alcove and out of general sight, and the earth-brown tarp he had draped over it kept both the weather and the thieves from noticing. After that, Wes and Rui were back on the streets of Pyrite, scrounging for a mechanic to fix it up. Unfortunatley, there wasn't any in sight. _For all the dregs that gather here, you'd think at least one would be mechanically-inclined,_ Wes grumbled inwardly.

Rui was more focused on trying to find any Shadow Pokémon, but her looking was equally-fruitless. There simply wasn't any Trainer battles going on anywhere. _Most likely because word got out that we're stealing their Pokémon,_ she theorized, _and now no one's taking any chances._

As they approached the windmill, however, they noticed Chief Sherles standing outside, conversing with a large, muscular man and a mechanic. More importantly, they noticed that the windmill was completely still. Rui immediately darted towards the windmill. "Hi, Mr. Sherles!"

The Chief turned to see Rui running up to him, with Wes just behing her. "Great, and just when I thought things couldn't get worse..." he griped, apparently not pleased with Wes's presence. "You're not returning to the scene of your crime, are you?"

"What happened?" bluntly asked Wes.

"Someone just barged in and shoved me aside, then stole one of the generator gears," the mechanic explained. "This windmill powers the Colosseum and much of the town. Without that gear, Pyrite's without power. Without power, the Gangs are going to scream bloody murder."

"I had nothing to do with it," Wes calmly spoke. "Even I don't mess around with that machine."

"But why would anybody do something like that?" Rui asked. Nobody answered: they were as much in the dark as she was.

"The thief..." the muscular man spoke up suddenly. "Where did he run to?"

"Towards the town gate, I believe." The mechanic pointed towards the entrance. "He's most likely long gone by now."

"The gear's heavy," continued the muscle man. "He couldn't have gone far with it." He then turned to Wes and Rui. "If you find him or the gear, let me know. I'm going to ask around some more." Wes merely shrugged and continued on his way with Rui.

The rest of the morning was uneventful. Wes and Rui mostly kept to themselves, without any of the barbed comments and insults from yesterday. Right now, there was simply nothing for them to talk about. As to finding Shadow Pokémon or somebody who could fix the Rumbler, they couldn't find either. They were just about to enter a Poké Mart for some supplies when...

"You seek something, do you not?" Wes paused and turned to see an elderly woman looking back at him. "Yes, I can read it in your Aura. You need some guidance."

Wes did not look impressed. "Look, lady, I'm busy."

"Oh, do not be so impatient," she continued. "Come with me. Let Mother Fateen shed some light on your search. She sees all, she knows all, she tells all..."

"Come on, Wes. She seems like a nice woman," Rui piped in.

"I have no time to be spending with a two-bit tarot-card tosser." Fateen and Rui glared fiercely at Wes, causing the Rogue to shudder at their flaming-hot gazes. "Fine, fine. But just for a minute." As he and Rui followed Fateen inside, Wes groaned to himself. _What is it about the eyes of women that makes me such a pansy?_

* * *

><p>Despite the run-down exterior, even Wes had to admit that Fateen's chamber was well-furnished. Tasteful curtains and comfortable chairs surrounded a pleasant-looking table with a crystal ball on top. Over to the side, Wes took notice at a shelf of books containing various topics on fotune-telling. Next to him, Rui was fidgeting in eagerness.<p>

"I thank you both for waiting," Fateen announced as she sat down behind the crystal ball. "Now we can begin." Raising her hands to the ball, Fateen began waving them and moaning loudly. "I can read your Auras... I can see into your past..."

_How stereotypical can you get? _Wes said to himself. Rui, however, was completely transfixed. It was as if something about her was attracting her undivided attention.

"You, young lady, are not from this land, are you?" Fateen began, pointing at Rui. "I see you have faced hardship upon arrival, and yet fortune smiled upon you."

"That's right!" exclaimed Rui. "Go on! What else can you tell us?"

"You, Miss Gordon... You have a power, one that you have yet to fully comprehend and master. But you choose to use this power to help others, which is good."

"What about me?" Wes challenged.

Fateen to look at Wes for a bit, and her expression soured. "You travel endlessly across the sands... you act solely for money and care not for anything that doesn't immediately serve your needs or interest."

Rui giggled. "Yup, sounds like Wes, alright." Wes scowled.

"But you are not without conscience. You chose to aid her when no one else would, after all," the fortune-teller continued. "I can see the two of you overcoming all, fighting for a bright future free of Shadow." Fateen paused to wave her hands a bit more. "And your first step to destroying the Shadow is here in Pyrite Town."

"Oh, this I've got to here!" Rui leaned forward eagerly.

Wes only reclined in boredom. _What's with this woman?_ he found himself thinking. _Why's she so hopped up towards us? We're only looking for a mechanic._

"I can see that which will set the gears of change in motion. It is close..." Fateen peered deeply into her crystal ball. "Close... closer..." she moaned. "THERE!"

The table suddenly rose up into the air, sending Fateen and Rui screaming in fear as it began moving around the room aimlessly. Even Wes couldn't help but feel surprised... until he saw the sandy footprints the table was leaving behind.

"Ivory, Swift!" The Eon appeared and fired itself at the table, smashing it to bits and revealing a suspicious-looking masked man. Shocked by the sudden movement, he cowered back long enough for Wes to grab his arm and twist it behind his back. Wes turned to Fateen. "Is this your so-called power? Trying to gyp us with a cheap stunt?"

Fateen looked emotionless. "I swear, Wes, that I had no hand in this youth's actions," she defended.

Wes snorted in disbelief. "Some psychic."

"However," Fateen continued as she glared at the youth. "I do know that this youth stole something of importance." A long, tense silence covered the room.

The thief bowed his head. "Sorry, Mother..." he meekly apologized. "I buried the gear in the trash pile outside."

"You had good intentions, child, but such an action was not smart," scolded Fateen.

"Now that's one statement I can agree with," Wes finished.

* * *

><p>Back at the windmill, Sherles, the muscle man, and the mechanic were reviewing their investigation's lack of progress when Wes arrived heaving both the thief and a large burlap sack, with Rui and Fateen following. "I got your gear back," he announced as he dragged his cargo through the door, "plus the guy who fobbed it off," he added as he pulled the mask off the thief, who was revealed to be a young-looking youth with silver-toned hair.<p>

"Hiya, boss," he whimpered.

The muscle man nearly broke into a fury. "Silva... how could you?"

"I know, I know. It was a stupid idea, but I couldn't take it anymore," Silva admitted. "I had to do something."

"Mr. Duking, do you wish to press charges?" asked Sherles.

"No, Sherles, it's okay. I'll handle him," he replied as he grabbed Silva and pulled him close. "Thank you, for helping us out," Duking exclaimed in gratitude.

"Thank Miss Fateen," Rui spoke up. "She was the one who found him."

"Well, in any case, I owe you kids one," said the mechanic as he heaved the gear back onto its peg and pulled the ignition lever. At once, all the gears started spinning as the windmill began to turn and generate power once again. _"Oh, thirty long years of grinding out gears!"_ the mechanic was singing.

Nearby, Fateen was currently whispering something to Duking. "Are you sure?" he asked. The wise woman only nodded. "I see..." Duking smiled as he turned to the pair. "If it's not any trouble, I'd like you to come back to my place."

"Gladly!" Rui said with a smile. Wes only nodded.

* * *

><p><em>Inside Duking's house...<em>

No sooner did Wes and Rui step inside the large, spacious building when Duking suddenly acted oddly. "Lock the door, Silva," Duking ordered. Silva nodded as he shut the front door and latched it tight. After a minute of waiting, Duking strode over to a bookshelf and pulled a hidden lever. The bookshelf instantly moved to one side, revealing a doorway into a small cavern. "Come inside, please." Wes and Rui obliged as they walked into the rocky room and took some crates to sit on, whereas Duking and his own group sat nearby.

"We should be safe here. Walls can hide ears, you know," explained Duking. "Anyway, we never got to introduce ourselves properly. I'm Duking and this is my top man Silva. Over here's my little girl Marcia and her friend Secc."

Rui smiled. "I'm Rui Gordon, and this bundle of happiness over here is Wes."

"Nice to meet you, Wes." Secc took Wes's hand and shook it. "I've heard quite a bit about you."

"Flattered," dryly repled Wes.

"Hello there!" Marcia curtly bowed towards Rui. "Here. For you."

Rui smiled in gratitude as Marcia placed a small knapsack of edible-looking wafers in her hads. "Aw, why thank you," she replied as she took a wafer and ate it. Marcia merely giggled.

"So anyway," Wes began, "why did you call us in here?"

"Fateen is known as the Mother of Pyrite because of how accurate her fortune-telling is. No one knows what her story is or where she came from, but her predictions are almost always correct," Duking explained. "If she trusts you, then I trust you, too. And right now, I need someone to trust more than ever."

"And you're trusting a Rogue?" asked Wes. "Do you know what Rogues do?"

"Do I? I _was_ one!" Duking stood up. "I'll have you know that I used to be one of the greatest Rogues in all of Orre. Whenever there were problems, all it took was a visit from the Duke of Pyrite to make them disappear," he proudly announced. "Nowadays, I'm a little too old for that sort of action, but my rep hasn't diminished in the least. When I talk, the Gangs _always_ listen, because they know I don't take any guff from anybody. In my spare time, I've been trying to get the wild Pokémon to come to Orre. Hopefully, they'll be encouraged by the Poké Snacks me and Marcia have been making for them."

_Poké... Snack?_ Still eating the Snacks, Rui nearly grimaced as she swallowed the foreign food. "It's... actually not bad," she quietly replied. Regardless, her appetite for them had now faded, and so she tied the bag back up.

"So why not now?" Wes continued. "If you've got such a big-shot reputation, then how come you're not doing anything about the Gang riots?"

"I'll field this one." Silva stepped forward. "About two months ago, representatives from a development group called Cipher Inc. came into town. They said they wanted to buy the land and turn it into a resort community for their tower. Duking told them to get out. They persisted for a while, but we showed them the door."

"A week later, though, Miror B. showed up. Now, we knew him from past experience as a petty crook and con-man, so we expected to kick him out easily, but his Pokémon..." The muscular man hesitated. "They were incredibly powerful, and we were all swept aside like dirt, and then he... he..." Duking turned away. "I'm sorry."

"Daddy's Plusle was stolen by that weird dancing guy," Marcia piped in.

"Thank you, Marcia," replied Duking. "Miror B. did it to ensure my cooperation. Since then, he's been letting this town go to hell in a handbasket. With Plusle in his hands, mine are completely tied."

"And because of Duking's lack of action, Miror B. has also taken control of the Colosseum across the ravine, which Cipher just now happens to be sponsoring," Secc added. "From what I understand, he's been pushing some kind of special prize to anybody who can win a Knockout Challenge."

"Shadow Pokémon!" Rui realized. "He must be the one who's been giving them to the Gangs!"

"I wouldn't know," replied Silva with a shrug. "All I did know was that someone had to shut his racket down, so I broke into the windmill and stole the gear. Figured that without power to run the Colosseum, there'd be no more Knockout Challenges for him to host."

"I know you said you'd do something, Silva, and I commend you effort," Duking complimented, "but it's going to take more than a power failure to evict that louse."

Wes fidgeted impatiently. "Getting back on topic, where is Miror B. now?"

"Secc says that he holes himself up in that old abandoned storeroom near the cliffs. If I recall correctly, it connects to some old mining tunnels, so he'd have plenty of room to hide. However, I haven't been able to set foot in that building because of Plusle. If he so much as suspects me of taking action..." Duking went quiet, then turned to Wes. "Wes, I know this may sound like a desperate plea, but I want you to enter the next Knockout Challenge. Win and find out what's going on."

Wes paused to think. "I suppose I could..." he mumbled. "I mean, I can't really say no to a fellow Rogue, but I want something in return."

Duking nodded. "I'll pay anything!"

"First, I have a Rumbler with a busted engine outside the town. I want it fixed and fueled up," he declared. "Second, I want Sherles to get rid of those Wanted posters with my face on it."

"Why?"

"I don't mind being labeled a criminal," Wes explained, "but not when he can't get a decent photo of me to save his life."

Duking laughed. "The first is easy, though I'll have to take it up with Chief Sherles on the second," he replied. "But please... help me save Plusle."

* * *

><p><em>A bit later...<em>

The trip to the Colosseum was fairly uneventful, though Rui did clutch Wes's arm a little too tight for his liking while they were crossing the bridge across the ravine. Now, they were in the colosseum lobby, where several other Gang Trainers were busy shooting the breeze as they waited for their turn to compete.

The receptionist, a pretty blonde, smiled at Wes. "Welcome to Pyrite Colosseum," she greeted. "Take on four of our best Trainers in a Knockout Challenge and win a rare, powerful Pokémon."

"I'd like to sign up for a Knockout Challenge," he responded.

"Very well. Please present your Trainer's License." Wes showed his P*DA, allowing the receptionist to scan it and confirm his ID. "The current tournament will end in five minutes. Please go right through and wait for the announcer." Rui tried to follow him, but the receptionist blocked her path. "Sorry, ma'am. Only competing Trainers may pass through here."

Wes turned to Rui. "Stay in the lobby." Rui nodded as Wes stepped through the door, leaving her alone.

The receptionist looked at Rui closely. After a moment, she smiled. "You know, you can sit in the stands to watch," she spoke. "Follow the door to your left and take the third right."

Rui smiled. "Thank you."

As the young redhead walked through the door, the receptionist reached down below the desk and pulled out a small radio. "Master? It's me," she spoke. "Send some Peons to the Colosseum. We have her."

* * *

><p><em>"And now it's time for our Super Knockout Challenge, sponsored by Cipher Inc., Orre's most premium development firm. Cipher: We're shaping your world today."<em>

In the waiting room, Wes listened to the announcer patiently. He never really cared for competing in Colosseums, since his demanding job as a Rogue left him with little ability to pursue such a trivial past-time. However, when it came to Duking, you never said 'no' to him, no matter what he asked of you. He owed him at least a chance to hear his plight out, after all.

"So you're the new kid, huh?" Wes turned to see a boy Hunter looking at him. "Hey listen... It takes the right stuff to make it here in Miror B's Colosseum, but if you can pull it off, there's gonna be some nice deals in store for you."

_"Presenting today's Knockout challenger, a local of the Orre region... WES!"_

"There's your cue, kid. Go get 'em!"

Wes merely nodded and stepped through the gate to the arena. As soon as he did, he was nearly knocked off his feet by the cacophany of cheering voices echoing through the half-torn dome. It was so powerful, Wes could almost swear the very ground was vibrating from the noise.

The announcer roared to life again as Wes's first opponent, a Hunter, entered the arena. _"His first opponent will be our very own Hunter Rhoks! Let's hear some noise up there!"_ The audience's roar was almost deafening. _"Annnnd... BEGIN!"_

Wes tossed out his Poké Balls. "Ebony, Ivory, you're on!"

"Barboach, Sandshrew! Dig 'em their graves!" Rhoks's Pokémon took the field, and soon the battle was joined.

Elsewhere in the Colosseum, however, Rui was having a hard time finding her way through the twisting, turning walkways. "She said the third right, right?" she asked herself. "Well, I'm not seeing anything but a broom closet." Rui paused to think. "Maybe she forgot to mention a turn-off or something."

"Are you lost?" Rui almost jumped at the voice, but caught her breath to see a young man in a bandanna looking back at her. "I said, are you lost?"

"Uh, I think so..." slowly replied Rui. "Can you help me find the entrance to the stands?"

"Gladly. Follow me." The Bandanna Guy led Rui through the walkway and up a flight of stairs. Almost as soon as she heard the noise of the crowds, Rui ran up the rest of the way, just in time to see Wes square off against his next opponent.

"WES!" Rui called out as she tried to shove through the crowd, but was immediately thrown back by all the bodies. Undaunted, Rui began hopping up and down furiously. "Wes! Wes, I-" **WHACK!** Amidst the noise of the crowds, no one even so much as heard Rui scream in pain as she fell to the floor, unconscious and unmoving from the force of the blow to her head.

Confident that she wasn't going to get up for a while, the Bandanna Guy dragged Rui back down the stairs.

* * *

><p><em>Elsewhere in Orre...<em>

"Whaddya mean you're not paying us?" Gonzap roared, his angry voice echoing through the cave that Team Snagem was using as a makeshift refuge. Several Snagems ran for cover as their Boss growled and heaved like a furious Primeape.

Standing before Gonzap, a trio of suited Mystery Troops in gray uniforms stood in formation. "Just what the Boss says, pal," the leader said, his blue scarf signifying his rank. "You owe us 1,000,000 PokéDollars in damages for all the Snag Machines you let get destroyed. Until you repay us in full for their destruction, every PokéDollar you make goes straight to us."

Gonzap grit his teeth in anger. "Your Boss never told us about that!" he defended. "All he said was that we use the devices to steal Pokémon, and we would get paid for it!"

"We gave you those Snag Machines as an investment, and you were expected to keep them in full working order," the Troop continued. "If you want to start working off your debt, then I suggest you shape up and get us more Pokémon."

"With what?"

The Troop allowed himself a cruel sneer. "That's _your_ problem, now isn't it?" he condescendingly replied.

"Listen, pencil-neck! We've been swiping Pokémon from every Trainer this side of Mt. Battle., and without so much as being told what for." Gonzap grabbed the Troop and held him at eye-level. "The least you can do is tell us _why_ we're doing your dirty work."

"That information is on a need-to-know basis," was all the Troop said. "Now if you'll excuse me." Pushing himself away from Gonzap, the Troop walked away with his partners.

As Gonzap just stood there in angry silence, Wakin walked up to him. "So what now, Boss?" he asked.

"Wakin, take a team with you and go find Wes. Don't come back without that Snag Gauntlet." Wakin saluted as he ran off. Gonzap then turned to the other Snagems. "The rest of you are with me. The cops have to leave eventually, and when they do, we're gonna take back our Hideout," he declared. "By force if necessary."

* * *

><p><em>Sometime later...<em>

The Knockout Tournament had come to a close, and Wes had swept all four rounds easily. He was now back in the lobby, collecting his winnings.

"Here you are, sir. 4,080 PokéDollars and a Toxic TM for your victory." Wes nodded as he took the wad of money, as well as a round disc-like device with a small indent at its top. "We hope you'll compete again soon."

"Thank you," Wes replied as he reached for his coat. "Hey, Ebony. Got a treat for you." Placing Ebony's Poké Ball on the indent, Wes activated the TM. A brief glowing effect surrounded the TM and the Poké Ball, then quickly died, its stored combat data permanently depleted.

"Okay, I'm done. Let's go." Wes announced, but then he noticed that he wasn't getting a response. "Rui?" Wes looked around the colosseum lobby. "Rui? Where are you?" Crossing his arms, Wes grumbled to himself, "Stupid ditz! I told her to stay in the lobby!" Wes marched out of the colosseum and crossed the bridge, silently hoping that Rui hadn't wandered off into the desert to her fate. _It would be a load off my back,_ he reasoned, _but even I'm not THAT cold-hearted._

Just as he was about to pass the windmill, though, a beefy arm grabbed Wes's shoulder. "The winner is you, right?" Wes was just about to turn and bash his addressor's head in, but wisely held back when he saw that it was a Bodybuilder. He knew from experience that these muscleheads weren't to be taken lightly, which put them in high demand with the Gangs as hired muscle. "Miror B. wants to congratulate you. Follow me." Wes had no objection as he followed the Bodybuilder back past the bridge and towards the old building, but he was surprised when the door opened for them, allowing entry.

The two walked through a dilapidated hallway and into what appeared to be a small waiting room, with a PC and Recharge Machine in the corner. "Please wait here while I announce your arrival. You may tend to your Pokémon if you like, but do not leave the room." The Bodybuilder climbed up a nearby flight of stairs and was gone.

With nothing better to do, Wes sat on a pile of rubble and leaned back against the wall, surveying his surroundings. From what he could tell, this place was a dump. The walls were crumbling in many spots, and drums leaking of unidentifiable liquid were strewn about. Various sandy footsteps were a clear indication that this building was in regular use regardless.

Off to one side, Wes saw a large cargo elevator sitting dormant, which piqued his curiosity. Wes stood up and approached the elevator to examine it closer. Oddly, he could hear the silent chugging of a gas engine below the platform, which could only mean that it was functional and that it led somewhere. Wes was just about to approach the access door when...

"Hey!" Wes turned his head to see a female Chaser glaring at him. "This elevator's off-limits! Back off!"

"Alright, alright," Wes growled as he returned to his seat, unaware of the hidden glint shining from a darkened corner of the room.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the topmost floor of the building, Wes's presence had not gone unnoticed by the security camera, allowing a pair of wicked women to watch him in his casual thoughts via TV monitor.<p>

"Is that him?" the first girl, a striking redhead asked. "The one that the Peons reported seeing in Phenac?"

"He matches the description. Sandy hair, blue coat, Snag Gauntlet." Her partner, a head of violet-hued hair replied. "Those idiots. Never send a moron to do a woman's job. Right, Reath?"

"You got it, Ferma," Reath replied. "Tell Master that his visitor is-"

"My visitor is what?" Both girls jumped and turned around to see Miror B.'s grinning face staring back at them. "Never mind. Move aside, my darlings. It's time for me to make the call." With a prance, Miror B. glided over to the monitor and pressed a few keys, causing the security footage to vanish and a new image to appear. It was the pale wild-haired man, and he did not look very friendly.

_"What do you want, Miror B.?"_ he greeted with a bored tone.

"Master Nascour, sir!" the dancing fool greeted happily. "You'll be happy to know that the Rogue is in our clutches. In a few moments, he'll be dancing off this mortal coil."

Nascour looked unimpressed. _"What about the distribution plan?"_

"Proceeding as perfectly as peachy-keenly possible. So long as I hold all the cards, Duking won't do anything to bother us. Last I heard, he's sitting in his office moping all day while we hand out Shadow Pokémon to those stupid Trainers." Miror B. pulled a pirouette. "Such darlings, so easily pulled in by promises of powerful Pokémon. They'll make great Peons, if I do say so myself. Plus, the combat data they'll provide will allow us to work the kinks out of the research."

This time, Nascour let a small smile cross his lips. _"Perhaps you're not as incompetent as I originally thought."_

"And, if that's not enough, I've got something that'll make you plotz!" Miror B continued. The girls opened a nearby closet, revealing a tied-up and gagged Rui as she slept. "One of my Peons caught her loafing around the colosseum. I presume the doctor still wants her brought to him?"

_"That was his exact request."_

Miror B. _tsk_ed. "Such a shame..." he grimly moaned, "but she won't slip away this time."

Nascour glared fiercely, making everybody in the room shudder. _"For your sake, make sure that she doesn't."_

As the monitor shot off, Miror B. grinned. "Alright, girls. I'm off for my dance hall. Keep things running sweet-and-smooth while I'm gone." Reath and Ferma saluted as the dancing fool struck a pose. "And when Master Nascour arrives, be so kind as to hand him Sleeping Beauty on my behalf."

"What about the Rogue?" Reath asked.

"Don't worry," he replied with an evil grin. "He's taken care of."

* * *

><p>Back down below, Wes continued to recline on the rock pile. He had let Ebony and Ivory out of their Poké Balls to keep him company, though it did nothing to relax him. For some reason, he was thinking about Rui. Though he was convinced that if she was dead by now, she most likely earned it for her stupidity, he still couldn't help but worry about her safety.<p>

Sensing his emotional anxiety (it was a Psychic-type, after all), Ivory looked towards Ebony and spoke a bit in its own tongue. Ebony caught on and replied. The two of them then looked up to Wes, their awkward silence saying something along the lines of: _You have feelings for the girl, don't you, Wes?_

"Oh, shut up!" Wes snapped as he recalled his Eons into their Poké Balls. Though he didn't understand their talking, the glare was all he needed to see in order to know he was being teased. A pair of characters suddenly came down the stairs, both wearing gray uniforms and helmets resembling those of the Mystery Troops from Phenac, and Wes stood up to meet them. He noticed that one of the characters, a girl, had a binder in her arm. The other, a boy seemingly no older than himself, had a Poké Ball.

"Congratulations for your impressive victory, sir. Here is your gift, compliments of Master Miror B.," the boy said as he opened the Poké Ball, revealing a Yanma. "Shadow Rush!" he quickly ordered. The Yanma obeyed and slammed into Wes, knocking him to the floor.

The girl pulled out a handgun and aimed it at him. "Your gift is a quick and painless execution. Good-bye, champ!" Before she could pull the trigger, Wes suddenly pushed himself forward on his hands and kicked the girl in the shins. The force of the blow sent her crashing down on her back, and her gun and binder was sent flying.

Wes got to his feet and released Slugma. "Slugma, Shadow Rush!" The Pokémon obeyed and charged full-power at Yanma, bringing it to the ground out of pain. Wes then tossed a Poké Ball from his Snag Gauntlet, instantly catching the Yanma and locking without fail. Wes recalled Slugma, then looked at the two soldiers. "Tell Miror B. that I want to thank him in person. Where is he?"

The boy sneered. "I'll never tell! Cipher Peons are trained to keep their mouths shut."

"Cipher Peons? Is that what you're calling yourselves?" Wes rolled Yanma's new Poké Ball in his fingers. "Seriously, where is he?"

"Get bent!" the girl shouted as she retreated up the stairs, with the boy following. Wes began to follow them, but paused when he saw the binder on the floor. Curious, he opened it up and began to read...

* * *

><p><em>Shadow Pokémon Report: Basic Information<em>

_~Dr. Ein Borugu, Cipher R & D Head_

_Shadow Pokémon have been created by myself to serve Cipher in its master plan for world domination. By infusing a Pokémon with heavy amounts of Shadow, their free will and emotions can be sealed away, stripping away their normally peaceful identities and turning the Pokémon into a mindless, pitiless engine of destruction. They feel nothing but rage, anger, and complete hatred for all life. In this way, they truly become heartless destroyers, incapable of anything but their singleminded orders: Destroy, Obey, Survive._

_Though Shadow is invisible to the naked eye, it can be detected by those who are versed in the power of Aura Sight. I have ordered that we find and eliminate as many of these people as possible. The master plan depends heavily on no one knowing about its existence... until it's too late._

_UPDATE: Recent reports from our spies in Gateon Port have located one such person. She had apparently reacted when she caught a glimpse of a Shadow Pokémon in mid-fight and was captured immediately. As of this writing, she is being taken to my lab for study and eventual execution._

* * *

><p><em>Execution?<em> That word immediately got Wes's attention. Such a word was never taken lightly, and the fact that it was being used in the same sentence as Rui was telling him that whatever she did to tick these people off, there was more at stake to it than just her being a witness.

Filled with a moderate feeling of dread, Wes dashed up the stairs. _Don't be dead yet, girl!_


	6. Dance Until You're Dead

_Yeah, I know I've been letting this slide, but real life always has a way of cutting in._

* * *

><p>"It's been almost an hour and a half by now," Duking admitted as he sat behind his desk. "No word from Wes."<p>

Sherles looked out the window of Duking's house and furrowed his brow. "I still don't think it's a smart idea, trusting a Rogue," the Chief replied. "What's to say Miror B. won't lure him in with a better offer?"

"I know the risks," defended Duking. "Look, I wouldn't make anybody do anything I couldn't do myself, but I'm all out of other options." The ex-Rogue slouched forward and rubbed his head in exasperation.

Nearby, Silva patted his boss's back in consolation. "Relax, Duking," he piped in. "He'll come through, I'm sure of it."

"For your sake, I hope you're right," Sherles replied, "because if he doesn't-"

Johnson suddenly barged into the house. "Chief! I managed to get a lead on... um..." He paused to look around in confusion. "Uh, Chief?"

"Not now, Johnson! We're busy!" Sherles snapped.

"Heh... still such a kidder, Chief," Johnson replied, "but someone actually gave me a lead on the violent Pokémon case." The officer sounded almost ecstatic. "And you _really_ need to hear this!" Johnson added as he turned to Cail, who looked grouchy in his expression, but genuinely worried.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

So far, Wes's trip through the old building had been fairly uneventful. Though there were a few Gang Trainers in the halls serving as guards, none of them had any Shadow Pokémon (he assumed that they weren't, since none of them were ever seen doing that Shadow Rush attack), so Wes was able to burn through them without hesitation. A part of him was tempted to snag a few of the guards' Pokémon, but with Rui's life hanging in the balance, he had no time to waste. As he fought, some of his Shadow Pokémon had begun to use proper attacks, giving Wes a stronger ability to type-counter enemies. Of course, Ebony and Ivory were always on hand to mop up whatever came their way.

Stepping out onto the roof of Miror B.s hideout, Wes paused to survey the area. There was a small rooftop shed on one side of the area. On the other side was a cavernous opening. _The old mining tunnels,_ Wes recalled from Duking's speech. Before he could step forward, Wes suddenly felt a beefy arm grab him by the back of his coat. The next thing he knew, he was being lifted into the air. "Hey, what the-?"

"I recall telling you to stay in the lobby." Wes looked behind him. It was the Bodybuilder from ealier, and he did not sound happy. "Well, so long as you're here, you might as well pay the girls a visit." The Bodybuilder effortlessly carried Wes by his collar into the rooftop shed. "Girls, I've got someone for you."

The two girls turned to gaze at Wes. "Well, well, Duking's hired help finally arrives," the redhead taunted.

"And he's a tacky Rogue, too," the purple-haired girl added. "The Duke must be desperate to send someone like you."

Wes growled as he struggled against his captor's grip. "Where's Miror B.?" he demanded. "And where's Rui?"

"Gotta admit. He's a feisty one!" Reath laughed to herself. "So, Ferma, shall we take his Pokémon away to cool him down?"

"I don't think so, Reath," came Ferma's sadistic response. "I think we should try something a little more... _permanent_."

As the girls stepped forward, Wes suddenly kicked his foot into the Bodybuilder's groin. The man bellowed in pain as he lessened his grip on Wes, allowing the Rogue to drop to the floor and clobber the large man in the chin with his Gauntlet arm. The Bodybuilder fell to the floor, out cold.

The immediate threat knocked out, Wes stood in a combat stance, ready to fist-fight or reach for Poké Balls. "Oh, now this is just great!" Reath growled in response. "This uninvited guest is being such a pain."

Ferma smirked. "But that's no excuse for being a bad host, now is it, Reath?"

"No it isn't, Ferma." The girls pitched a single Poké Ball each, revealing a Mantine and a Remoraid. "Double Shadow Rush Bombardment!" At once, the Mantine lurched forward with its Remoraid partner in its wing, ready to crush something. Wes dropped low and avoided the Mantine's attack, but he wound up moving too slow and got the Remoraid dropped onto his head. Knocked off-balance from the blow, the Mantine passed by again and crashed into Wes from behind.

_And I thought Mantines were a gentle sort,_ Wes snarled as he picked himself up and threw a Poké Ball, releasing a Flaafy. Above him, the Mantine and its Remoraid friend were gliding at Wes like a kamikazi bomber jet. "Flaafy, Thunder Wave on the Mantine!" The Flaafy bleated as it instead charged into a Shadow Rush, missing Mantine but just barely winging Remoraid, sending it spinning into the ground. _Well... I guess that works too,_ Wes admitted as he launched a Poké Ball and snagged the downed fish without resistance.

With the girls' offense halved, Reath and Ferma were already cursing like Sailors, but Mantine didn't stop as it dove into another Shadow Rush. This time, Wes cleanly dodged, causing the large Pokémon to crash into the closet, tearing down the door and revealing Rui in the process.

The redhead suddenly woke up with a jolt. "Hrmn... whrmmi?" she mumbled through her gag. It only took a second for Rui to register her surroundings. "WRRSSS!" She began to struggle against her binds, unaware of the Mantine preparing to rise up and attack her.

_Rui!_ Wes nearly jumped at seeing her in the line of fire. "Flaafy, Thunder Wave!" _And actually use it this time!_ Thankfully, Flaafy obeyed and fired a burst of static at Mantine, who immediately began showing signs of paralysis. As Mantine suddenly felt itself unable to move, Wes pitched another Poké Ball and snagged it. Both Pokémon were now safely contained.

Now defenseless, Reath and Ferma cowered onto the floor with mournful moaning. "Oh no! Miror B.'s gonna dock our pay for this," Reath groaned.

"Forget him," Ferma replied. "When Master Nascour hears of this, we're dead meat." She glared at Wes. "But nothing he does to us will even compare to what he'll do to you!"

Wes recalled his Pokémon and approached the women. "Where is Miror B.?" he demanded.

"He's in the cave network next door," Reath confessed. "Don't expect a warm welcome."

Ferma stood up. "Reath, I think it's time we make ourselves scarce."

"ULTRA-SUPER FIRE DASH!" Both girls shouted as they dashed for the stairwell, screaming like... well, girls. With a sigh, Wes went over and helped Rui to her feet.

"I can't take my eyes off you for a second, can I?" he scolded as he undid her gag and ropes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," Rui moaned. "I guess I'm dragging you down, aren't I?"

"Obviously."

"But you came to save me again," she continued, "so you do care, right?" Ignoring Rui, Wes walked over to a small end-table, where he noticed another black binder. Curious, Rui got in close as Wes began to read...

* * *

><p><em>Shadow Pokémon Report: Hyper Mode Protocol<em>

_Dr. Ein Borugu, Cipher R & D Head_

_Though I have tried my hardest to impart my will upon my Shadow Pokémon slaves, the Shadow that overwhelms their minds and bodies have been known to drive them completely out of control. In such cases, they will attack anything that they perceive as a living being, whether it be other Pokémon, their Trainers, or even innocent bystanders. As of this writing, there have been several confirmed reports of Peon fatalities due to their Pokémon "getting hyper" and beating them to death. Thus, I have coined the term "Hyper Mode"._

_A positive aspect of Hyper Mode is that the Shadow Pokémon gets stronger and more powerful, often inflicting critical damage on enemies with greater regularity, but they also become wilder and more uncontrollable. In extreme cases, they will literally beat any adverary to death... and beyond._

_Proper handling protocol is to be observed for the Peon's safety. The first rule is to never, EVER approach it, not even for the application of Items. Second, calling out to the Shadow Pokémon usually has the effect of snapping them back to a controllable state, though this can weaken the Shadow in the Pokémon and isn't recommended unless absolutely necessary. I am urgently trying to find ways to counteract this flaw._

_Still, I must admit that releasing a few Shadow Pokémon in a room and letting them go Hyper is surprisingly satisfying. A shame that the Peon washouts didn't quite enjoy it like I did. They will be missed..._

* * *

><p>Wes shook his head as he finished reading. "Whoever this Borugu guy is, he's not going to be making any friends with that attitude," Rui piped in. "But we still need to find Miror B."<p>

Suddenly, the TV monitor turned on. "Hello, kiddies!" cackled a familiar falsetto. "It's Miror B. coming at you live via Cipher TV." Wes and Rui turned to see the afro-topped troublemaker grinning eagerly. "I take it by now that you've seen the stupidity of your situation."

Rui scowled. "Where's Plusle, you cowardly cheat?" she shouted.

"Oh, it couldn't be happier if it tried. Don't worry, though. That will be remedied soon enough." Miror B. laughed evilly. "But if you think you're ready to dance, then meet me at the end of the cave. We'll have ourselves such a toe-tappingly good time, you'll _never_ leave."

As the criminal switched off, Wes turned to Rui. "Rui, you head back to Duking. I'm going to finish this."

Rui shook her head in defiance. "And risk getting kidnapped again? No way! Besides, you need me to spot Shadow Pokémon." The redhead paused. "Which reminds me... you didn't actually break our promise while we were separated, did you?" she challenged.

"Had no time for it." Rui scowled, but relaxed when she saw Wes smirk. "Anyway, I guess nothing I say or do is going to tell you otherwise, so stay close and _don't wander_."

"Don't worry, Wes," Rui replied. "This time, I'm not going anywhere without you." Reunited, the heroes left the room and headed toward the cave entrance.

* * *

><p><em>Back at Duking's house...<em>

"Shadow Pokémon?"

"Do I have to repeat myself? That's what they're called," Cail explained to Sherles. "Miror B. claims that they're these heartless weapons, but they're really just a bunch of crazy critters that want to attack everything that moves."

"And you never told us?" Johnson snapped. "I warned you about conning me."

"Look, moron, I'm not doing this for you or your sorry excuse for a Chief," came Cail's argument. "Word on the street was that Wes and that hot chick were going to take down Miror B. all by themselves. I figured that if they were going to be that suicidal-"

"Say no more!" Sherles ran over to a phone on Duking's desk. "Operator, put me through to the International Police. Tell them that it's urgent!"

"So tell me, Mr. Cail... since when did you start showing a conscience?"

"None of your business," Cail snapped, though he did show a brief glance towards Duking. The muscular man nodded in silent acknowledgement.

* * *

><p><em>Back with our heroes...<em>

Deep in the abandoned mining tunnels, Wes was in another fight for his life against an unruly Rider. "Swablu, Shadow Rush!" the Rider called out as the cotton-winged bird Pokémon pulled into the familiar tackle attack. Ivory easily dodged the blow.

"Don't your Shadow Pokémon know any other tricks?" Wes grunted as Ivory returned fire with a blast of Confusion. "This is getting very predictable." The attack struck the Swablu and sent it to the ground, where it was quickly snagged in another Poké Ball. His Shadow Pokémon gone and his other Pokémon out of stamina, the defeated Trainer threw a wad of PokéDollars down onto the ground and ran away.

Wes calmly collected the money and recalled his Pokémon. Several Gang Trainers had already been relieved of a Qwilfish, a Dunsparce, and a Meditite, and the Swablu that Wes had just obtained put him at being four-for-four. Nearby, Rui just stood there quietly. "You coming?"

"Huh?" Rui looked up in surprise. "Oh, uh, yeah," she admitted. "I was just thinking about stuff."

"Like what?"

"Just stuff." Wes shrugged as he descended down a stairwell. As Rui followed, she noticed that the rocky caverns were starting to give way to flat concrete walls. A loud sound of rushing water was echoing through the tunnels. "Now where are we? Doesn't look like a mine to me."

"It's a man-made reservoir. The miners built it to divert the water through the caves and into Pyrite Town," came Wes's explanation. "But between excessive mining and careless dumping, that water's not even good for a bath, so Pyrite has to get all its water pumped in from Phenac. They say the Mayor always threatens to cut Pyrite's water supply when the Gangs start getting especially unruly."

"But we had showered this morning, so he hasn't done it yet, right?"

Wes paused to think. "Hmmmm... good point," he commented. "Maybe he just hasn't had the time."

"Wes, do you hear... music?" Wes and Rui paused to listen carefully. "It's coming from down there!" she announced as she pointed towards a dark corridor.

"Yeah, just across that." Both Wes and Rui stared. Standing between them and the doorway was a concrete bridge... what little of it remained. Much of the concrete had crumbled away, leaing behind an unstable-looking mess of rubble and metal support rods, with only a single concrete barrister holding both sides together. "How well can you keep your balance?" he asked.

"What?" Rui almost jumped in shock, but managed a nod. "O... okay, I guess," she answered, "but surely you can't be serious."

"I am serious," Wes deadpanned. "Anyway, that raised barrister on one side looks like it may hold. Since you're lighter, you'll go first, and I'll follow once you've made it across."

"In other words, if I fall to my death, you'll be able to say it wasn't your fault." Rui shook her head as she climbed up onto the concrete path. "Three kidnappings in two days and and now this... I never should've left Johto." Stretching her arms out, Rui slowly crossed the barrister, one step in front of the other. Though she looked a bit unsure at a couple of spots, she managed to cross without incident.

"Not bad," Wes called back from across the gap as Rui dropped onto stable ground. The Rogue then climbed up to follow her. However, just before he could make the last few steps, the barrister collapsed beneath his feet. "AHHHHHHH!"

"WESSSS!" Before she even knew what she was doing, Rui had dashed forward with unexpected speed and grabbed Wes by his left arm. Not the best one to grab, as the Snag Gauntlet Wes was wearing gave her little ability to maintain a grip upon its metallic surface. Rui could already feel her grasp slipping. "Hang on, Wes!" she shouted. "I... I've got you!"

A new sound then crossed her ears: the sound of the Gauntlet's straps loosening. Gritting her teeth, Rui gripped harder on the Snag Gauntlet, to the point where she could almost crush it. And with a loud shout that echoed through the reservoir, Rui pulled Wes up with all of her strength, allowing him to get his legs back onto safe ground.

The situation over, Wes and Rui gasped for air as they thought about how close it was. After a minute, Rui managed to find her voice. "Wes... I..."

"Just... don't... say... anything..." Wes barely replied as he resecured the Snag Gauntlet's straps. Rui wisely kept her mouth shut after that.

* * *

><p>It took about two more minutes before the pair were back on their feet, during which time not a single word was spoken. Eventually, though, they were finally able to find the source of the music, a large doorway covered in various photos of Miror B. striking dance poses. "Behind me." Taking point, Wes slowly approached the doorway, with Rui maintaining a close distance. If there was any trap awaiting them, they were not going to let themselves get ambushed.<p>

The door led into a small cavern, and Wes and Rui stared in awe at the scene before them. There was Miror B., dancing endlessly on top of a small stage and singing to a slow-moving disco tune. Surrounding him were a quartet of Ludicolo, moving and gyrating in tandem. In the far back of the room was a large and expensive-looking sound system hooked up to a generator. Unaware of Wes and Rui, Miror B. simply spun and posed. _"I-I-I! Want you, want you to be! My-my-my! Greatest, greatest glory..."_

One of the Ludicolo suddenly jumped and hooted at seeing the intruders. "Now what's this? Who's there?" Miror B. grumbled as he brought his dance to a halt. "Is that you, Peon?" he demanded without turning forward. "For the last time, you are _not_ my successor, so come off it and..."

Rui looked at him oddly. "Who are you talking about?"

Miror B. turned to see Wes and Rui staring back. "Oh, it's the darlings! Never mind." Taking a remote from (of all places) his afro, Miror B. pressed a button and stopped the music. "So you finally made it. About time too, because I was getting so frightfully tired of the waiting, I decided to build up some sweat."

"Your plan is over!" Rui shouted. "Hand over Plusle, or else-"

Wes stepped forward and released Ebony and Ivory. "Or else me and my boys here are going to take that crazy hair of yours and stick it up your-"

"Assuming what? That you can beat me in fair combat?" Miror B. put his hand to his forehead in a mock-fainting gesture. "My, my, and just when the plan was sooooo close to completion, but no matter," he said as he stood up and sneered. "We'll have ourselves one last glorious dance before the grand finale. It'll be to DIE for!" The dancing deviant struck a pose. "Let the music SPIN!"

With another tap of Miror B.'s remote, the sound of upbeat dance music echoed throughout the room. Wes snarled as he recognized the tune from the Mayor's house. "Lou, Dee, you're the first act," Miror B. declared as two of his Ludicolo stepped forward, still dancing and swaying to the salsa beat. "Lou, bring on the Rain Dance! Dee, give 'em a few Leech Seeds on me."

Lou nodded and spun in place, summoning a small group of dark clouds that quickly began to rain over the room. Dee, meanwhile, spun and fired a cloud of seeds at Ebony. They immediately latched onto the Eon and began growing over him, sapping his energy.

"Ebony, Bite! Ivory, Confusion!" Both Eons responded with a growl as they attacked one Ludicolo each. Ebony's Bite struck Lou, making it flinch, while Ivory fired a blast of psychic energy at Dee and wounded it.

Ebony suddenly dropped to a knee as the Leech Seeds began sapping his stamina. Knowing that the Ludicolo that seeded him would just keep absorbing that stolen energy, Wes had no choice but to recall Ebony. "Ebony, return." he said as Ebony vanished back into his Poké Ball. He then drew a different one. "Noctowl, you're up. Use Fly and whack those weeds." With a hoot, Noctowl soared up into the air to build its attack.

"Ivory, Confusion again." Ivory nodded and crouched to attack, but was suddenly struck by a Ludicolo as it unexpectedly leapt forward and rammed the Eon.

"Faster than they look, aren't they? My chorus always dance their best when in the rain, after all." Miror B. struck another flamboyant pose. "Dee, suck the Espeon's happy mood away with Giga Drain." Dee leapt and opened its mouth to use the attack, causing Ivory to wince as he felt his stamina suddenly drop... hard!

Meanwhile, Noctowl had finished its lap around the cave and had pulled into a screaming dive towards Lou. It struck dead center, sending Lou flying halfway across the cave from the recoil and knocking it out. "Hmph! Lucky hit," Miror B. said with a snort. "Dee, Giga Drain the Espeon again." Dee obliged, and Ivory moaned as more of his stamina left him.

"Coe, you're up!" The third Ludicolo leapt forward to replace its comrade. "Make the Espeon dance with Bullet Seed." Coe spat a machine-gun spray of tiny seeds at Ivory, wounding him repeatedly. It was all too much for the poor Espeon and he collapsed. "So whaddya say, dearie?" Miror B. taunted. "You ready to- YIPES!" Wes's Noctowl suddenly roared towards him in a Shadow-induced rage. "Get away from me, you feathered git." As the Admin threw off his attacker, Noctowl suddenly dove towards Dee and began tearing and clawing at it.

"Whoa, easy now, Noctowl. Stand down," Wes called out. "NOCTOWL!" Hearing the shout, Noctowl calmed down and flew back to Wes. Much to his surprise, the owl Pokémon's attack had knocked out Dee. "Well, that was lucky," he admitted.

Miror B., however, did not look impressed. "So you've figured out how to turn Hyper Mode to your advantage? Big deal!" Miror B. snorted in disgust. "Low, it's time to close the curtain on this act." The fourth Ludicolo leapt forward. "Low, more Leech Seeds. Coe, Giga Drain." The two Ludicolo obeyed, firing more of their attacks at Wes's Pokémon.

_This is going nowhere. Between the rain and their stamina-sapping attacks, he's wearing us down through attrition,_ Wes realized, _but I've got something that should kill his show._ Wes released Ebony back onto the field. "Ebony, Toxic!" The Eon growled as it emitted a cloud of toxic chemicals at Low. At once, the Ludicolo shivered and moaned, its skin feeling the toxins course and burn through its body. "Now, Noctowl, take out the other one with Fly." Noctowl obliged and took to the air again.

"Coe, Low! Full-auto Bullet Seeds!" Miror B. ordered.

As the two Ludicolo opened fire with Bullet Seeds, Wes called out his counterattacks. "Ebony, Bite!" Ebony launched forward and took a nip at Low, while Noctowl dived and rammed Coe into unconsciousness. As to Low, it groaned as the toxin finally wore it out, sending it to the ground in defeat.

"You... you cheater!" Miror B. roared. "How dare you decimate their delightful dancing with your putrid poisons!"

"They can't be any more putrid than your fashion sense," Wes taunted back.

"You... you... ARRRRGH!" Now furious, Miror B. grabbed a Poké Ball from his afro and threw it. "Sudowoodo! Crush them!" The Rock-type Pokémon grunted in response as it charged forward.

"Wes, the Sudowoodo's a Shadow Pokémon!" Rui called out. "Watch out for it!"

"Way ahead of you!" Wes replied as he sidestepped the Shadow Rush. "Noctowl, Hypnosis." The Owl Pokémon opened its wide eyes and began channeling psychic energy into the Sudowoodo's face. For a moment, it didn't look like it would work and Noctowl would be clobbered, but at the last second, the Sudowoodo halted in its tracks. "No chances on this one." Wes took out a Great Ball and put it in the Gauntlet's grip, starting the familiar glowing effect, then threw it out and snagged the Rock-type. Wes counted off as the Great Ball struggled to contain the Sudowoodo. _One shake... two shakes... three shakes... *****_**click*** The Ball held and the Snag was complete.

"Alright, Wes!" Rui cheered as Wes recalled his Pokémon.

Across the room, Miror B. had dropped to his knees in defeat, his four Ludicolo collapsed around him. "I can't keep up with this tempo..." he moaned. "Oh, no, no, what a no-no..." Wes was about to approach Miror B. when he suddenly leapt forward on his hands and kicked Wes away. As the Rogue staggered from the blow, Miror B. got to his feet and ran for the door. "BAH! Don't think I'll forget this insult! I'll be back and kicking around again before you know it." The fiend called out to his Ludicolo. "Let's go! Escape!" At once, the four Pokémon leapt to their feet and followed their master out the door, screaming all the way.

Rui just stared at the odd sight. "What was his problem, anyway?" she muttered. A loud squeal from the next room over then caught Rui's attention. "This way!"

"Rui, wait!" Wes tried to stop her, but she was already through the door. Fortunately, his fear of there being a trap was unfounded, as Rui was found crouched in front of a small yellow-and-red Pokémon. It did not look happy, as it was tied up and placed under intensely-bright spotlights.

As soon as the Plusle saw Rui, it squeaked in response. "Oh hey, little guy." Rui cooed as she undid its ropes. At once, the Plusle jumped towards Rui and grabbed her boot, then looked up to her with wide eyes. "Aw, poor thing. He must be hungry." Remembering the Poké Snacks from earlier, Rui grabbed the pouch from her jacket pocket and gave Plusle a wafer, which it eagerly ate up. It then jumped onto Rui's shoulder and squeaked happily.

Over in the corner of the room, Wes's attention was drawn to another object: another black binder...

* * *

><p><em>Shadow Pokémon Report: Purification<em>

_Dr. Ein Borugu, Cipher R & D Head_

_Further research in the Shadow Infusion Process has revealed that, while the effect it has on Pokémon is powerful, it is not permanent. It is possible to actually weaken the Shadow surrounding the Pokémon. The exact variables have not been fully identified yet, but it generally occurs when the Shadow Pokémon is made to bond with its Trainer. Research is needed to identify and counteract these variables._

_Any Peon caught showing even a hint of affection to their Shadow Pokémon will be severely punished. I will not have our own troops ruining my perfect little slaves!_

* * *

><p>As he finished reading, Wes calmly walked towards the door. "Let's get out of here," he announced.<p>

Rui just sighed. "As emotional as ever," she responded. "Seriously, after all we've been through since yesterday, can't you be the least bit understanding that this poor Pokémon's been tortured?"

"Do you want to get out of this cave or no?" Wes challenged. Noticing Rui's expression as one of anger, Wes sighed. "It's not that I don't care. I just don't like lingering any longer than I have to in places like this," he explained. "We'll talk and laugh about this later, once we're safely out of this place."

"Well, lead the way, Mr. Serious," Rui announced. Wes didn't argue as he led her out of the room.

* * *

><p>The trip back thankfully wasn't as bad as before. As it turned out, Miror B. had unintentionally left a trail of sandy footprints showing them how to get around the chasm, which Wes admitted would've been nice to know about before. Eventually, though, they finally made it back to Duking's house, where they enjoyed a modest reunion.<p>

"Wes, Rui, thank Arceus you're both safe!" Duking proclaimed as he picked up Plusle. "And Plusle, my little precious Plusle. Oh, you have no idea how much I missed you." Plusle squeaked happily.

"Miror B. got away, but his bargaining chip's gone," Wes explained. "I don't think he'll be dancing around here for a while."

"Wes, Rui, everybody in Pyrite owe you our lives." Silva said. "I don't even want to think about what that nut would've done to Plusle."

"Or you, for that matter," Cail added. "Just remember, Wes. You owe me for this."

"You owe me six, last time I counted."

"Whatever." Cail shrugged and left the house.

The conversation done, Duking spoke up. "Now that I've got Plusle back, I can see about getting order restored in this town," he announced. "Afterwards, I intend to dig into this Cipher mystery with every ounce of power I can muster. Wes, I'd like to have your P*DA number." Wes nodded and pulled out his P*DA, while Duking held out a similiar device. After a second of wireless interaction, both units dinged. "Great. I'll e-mail you if anything comes up. Oh, and I got your Rumbler fixed up like you asked. The windmill mechanic said it was the least he could do for getting his gear back."

"Great!" exclaimed Wes as he turned to the last remaining person he hadn't spoken with yet: Sherles. "Now, about those Wanted posters-"

"What Wanted posters?" Sherles said with a smirk. "I normally wouldn't do this, but you did get that louse out of Pyrite, so I think we can defer your outstanding charges... for now. Unless of course, you'd like me to put you in lockup."

"No thanks."

"That's what I thought." the chief replied. "Just don't let me catch you causing trouble around here, and we'll call it even."

As Wes and Rui turned towards the door to leave, loud squeaking sounded behind them. Looking down, they saw Plusle hopping at Rui's feet. "Well, look at this. Apparently, Plusle's taken a shine to the lass," Duking observed. He rubbed his chin and smiled. "I think he wants to come with you."

"M-me?" Rui stammered in surprise. "But... but it's your Plusle."

"Don't worry. I know my Plusle better than anybody else. If it's okay with him, then it's okay with me." the proud man replied "Just promise me that you'll take good care of him."

Rui smiled back. "I will."

And with that, the two heroes left, leaving Duking and his family alone once more. Over by the secret room, Secc smiled as he ran inside the room and switched on a laptop computer. "Nett is never gonna believe this," he muttered to himself as he began typing.

* * *

><p>Outside, Wes and Rui's walk was briefly paused by one more familiar face. "Perhaps it is just the imagination of an old woman, but this air feels less dirty." Wes and Rui turned to see Fateen standing outside her house, her expression quizzical. "And yet, I can feel darkness, emanating from below the earth and from the desert."<p>

"What do you mean?" asked Rui.

"Mother Fateen can feel it. Your Auras glow bright with hope, but they alone will not beat back the Shadow." Fateen raised her hand and pointed. "North... North is where you shall go..."

"North?" Wes chimed in. "You mean Agate Village?"

Rui suddenly panicked. "Ohmygod! Wes, I forgot all about Grandpa!" she shouted. "He's probably pulling his hair out wondering where I am!"

"But what about Agate?" the Rogue demanded.

"You have many questions, but it is not my place to answer. All will be explained in Agate," Fateen said. Wes was about to leave when she grabbed his sleeve. "But beware the Man of Shadow," the fortune-teller added. "His hatred and cruelty knows no limits, twisting human and Pokémon alike into his slaves."

"I'll be careful," Wes replied. "Whoever he is, I'm not afraid."

* * *

><p><em>Location unknown...<em>

"What do you mean, you can't find him?"

"Just what we said, doctor," announced the Peon on the video-phone monitor, much to his superior's anger. "Miror B. ran out of Pyrite before anybody could even spot him. He could be anywhere in Orre by now. Do you still want him retrieved?"

"Don't bother. He of all people knows the price of failure," the doctor replied. "Fortunately, his absence is only a minor issue. So long as we control the supply line, the distribution plan remains intact."

"Do you still want the girl?"

"At this point, she's more trouble than she's worth. Send word through the ranks. The girl and her Rogue friend are to both be terminated on sight. 50,000 PokéDollars and free pick of a Shadow Pokémon for each of their confirmed deaths." Brushing his spindly strand of hair out of his face, the doctor glared fiercely at the Peon. "Where are they going now?"

The Peon saluted. "They've been reported as proceeding north towards Agate Village."

"Gather a team and follow them," the doctor ordered, "and while there, I have an assignment for you."


	7. Homecoming

Compared to Pyrite and even Phenac, Agate Village was probably the only place in all of Orre where peace and tranquility truly thrived. Elder Trainers happily played with their Pokémon despite their age. Visiting younger Trainers competed in friendly Pokémon battles. A kindly man talked to his Taillow as he tended a small garden of Berries. Neither Phenac nor Pyrite ever looked this peaceful and serene.

As the Rumbler barreled full-speed towards the northwest corner of Orre, Rui observed that the surroundings were starting to become less and less sandy. Traces of grass and trees could be seen growing along the side of the road, and the normally-brutal heat was cooling down to more tolerable levels. Finally, the looming mountain ahead came into closer view, and Rui gasped in awe at the sight of Agate Village. A large waterfall running from the top of the peak poured down towards the foot of the hill and flowed into a river that descended through the mountain range, with various houses sitting around the cliffs.

"Well, we're here," Wes announced as he brought the vehicle to a stop. Rui nodded as she hopped out of the sidecar and wiped the stray sand out of her eyes, then reached down to pick up Plusle and put the small Pok mon on her shoulder.

The two of them looked out at the waterfall and the ardent life strewn around it. "It's beautiful," Rui said with a smile. "I never thought it'd look like this. I was expecting a bunch of sun-baked huts in the middle of nowhere."

"Are you coming?" Rui looked up to see Wes impatiently standing over her. "I didn't waste two days of my life to hear you gush."

"Sorry." Rui shrugged as she and Wes set off towards the town entrance.

As they approached, a pair of young Trainers stepped forward to block their access. "Hey! This is a private community!" one of them announced. "No outsiders!"

Rui stepped forward. "It's okay. I'm Rui Gordon, and I-"

"Didn't you hear me? No outsiders!"

"It's okay," the second guard spoke up as he gave his partner a note. "The Elder's expecting her. Let her pass."

"What?" The first guard looked at the note, which had a small photo of Rui paperclipped to it. "Oh. I'm sorry, ma'am. Didn't know it was you," he apologized upon recognizing her. "You can enter." Rui nodded and walked past the guards. As Wes followed, however, they suddenly cut him off. "But you, Rogue, have to stay out here," the guard continued.

Rui turned back and scowled. "He's with me. Let him through."

"Sorry, ma'am, but that's the rule," explained the guard. "We can't have creeps like him lurking about, not after what happened with those spies."

Wes looked insulted. "Who are you calling a creep?" he tersely asked. "And what spies?"

"It was about two weeks ago," the second guard explained. "We had some visitors come in, and they were asking about... certain things. However, they were later found to be saboteurs trying to destroy the village and were exiled. Since then, we've had to step up our job in keeping possible invaders out." He turned to Rui. "You, ma'am, were mentioned by the Elder as being okay to enter when you arrived, but no one else." He turned back to Wes. "I'm sorry, Rogue, but you can't enter."

Rui suddenly marched over to the guards and glared fiercely into their faces. "Let. Him. In," she threatened, her eyes almost ablaze with blue fire. But it was only a trick of the light... right? "Now! Or do I have to get the Elder involved?"

"Uh... um... well..." His throat dry, the guard glanced over to his partner, who only shrugged in response. "Okay, but he had better not try anything funny," he squeaked.

"He won't," Rui stated as she backed off.

Collecting his composure, the guard forced a smile. "The Elder's house is at the very top of the hill. Just follow the path," he announced. "Enjoy your visit." Wes had no comment as he passed by them, though he still shot them a glare.

As the two of them climbed the hill, Wes turned towards Rui with slight awe. "Since when did you start getting tough?" he asked.

"Dunno." Rui shrugged. "I was just getting so impatient that something went off in me."

_Well, let's hope it doesn't go off again,_ Wes thought. He was now starting to feel that there was definitely more to this girl than what she appeared, and not just because of her eyes. And somehow, he felt a little... impressed. _But let's not get that far ahead._ he told himself.

A short time later, Wes and Rui finally reached the top of the hill, where a large, hollowed-out tree loomed over them and the entire village like a beacon. Rui knocked on the door. After a few seconds, it opened up to reveal an elderly woman. Despite her wisened appearence, she smiled like a little kid when Rui called out, "Grandma!"

"Rui! Oh, thank heavens!" The woman reached forward and pulled Rui into a big hug. "You took so long, we were afraid something terrible happened to you."

"Beluh! What's going on down there?" shouted another voice from upstairs.

"Eagun! It's Rui! She finally made it!"

"Rui?" After a moment, the man named Eagun came downstairs. He was definitely old, as evidenced by his long white hair, beard, and mustache, but his eyes still had a spark of life about them. He wore what looked like some kind of lavender robe. "Well, I'll be darned. You look great, Rui, and you've got a Pokémon, too," Eagun replied, giving Plusle a caring pat that it cooed happily over.

Rui smiled. "Well, Plusle's technically not mine," she explained. "I'm kinda doing a favor for someone."

"All the same, it's been so long. Last time I saw you, you were only yay high." The Elder held his hand to about his knee to emphasize. "I guess ten years'll do that to you."

"Ten years ago, you barely had a foot of beard," Beluh jokingly replied. She then turned to Wes and scowled. "And who're you?" she tensely asked. "You look like one of those shady guys we had in town a couple weeks ago."

Already sensing the tension, Rui stepped in. "His name's Wes, Grandma, and he helped me get here," she explained. "He's not as much a shining knight as I'd like, but he got me here and I'm grateful."

"So what held you up?" Eagun asked. "Sightseeing? I doubt there's much to see out here."

Rui sighed. "It's a long story..."

* * *

><p><strong><em>One long story later...<em>**

"And that's how we got here," Rui said as she finished recounting the events of the last two days to her grandparents. Eagun was silent as he processed the story in his head, but Wes and Beluh were already glaring at each other again.

"Wes, correct?" Beluh asked. "Well, I suppose I should thank you for the help, but don't think for a second that I trust you."

"I can assure you that I didn't harm her," the Rogue said in his defense.

"Well, what about the times she mentioned where you threatened to abandon her?" the Matron continued to press. "This is not a safe region, you know, and just the thought of you leaving my granddaughter dying alone in that desert gets me riled up."

"I don't have any obligation to anybody unless they're paying me," Wes retorted. "I won't mince words when I say that I did intend to leave her behind at Phenac where she would be safe, but she followed me and got herself in more trouble. It's her fault, not mine."

"Hmph!" Beluh crossed her arms. "It's all the same with you people, always so selfish and uncaring except where it directly concerns you."

"I'm a Rogue. Of course I'm a self-serving jerk."

"Enough, both of you," Eagun snapped, shutting them both up. The argument stopped, he turned to Rui. "What I want to know is why anybody would want to harm you?"

"It's because of my eyes. I don't know why, but I can see these weird Pokémon, and everybody's trying to kill me over it," Rui explained. "I've already been abducted three times in the past two days alone, and all I've learned is that I now have an aversion to burlap sacks."

"Well, what about these... _weird_ Pokémon you were talking about?" the Elder asked again, sounding a little more concerned. "What did they look like when you saw them?"

Rui was about to answer when the door suddenly flew open. "Elder, we've got trouble!" shouted a villager as he ran into the house. "Outsiders have just breached the village! They're armed and are approaching the Relic Forest!"

Everybody turned in surprise. "What?! Who are they?" Eagun demanded.

"I don't know! They were all wearing weird suits and helmets, so I couldn't-"

"It's Cipher!" Wes realized. "They're on the move!"

"Cipher?! You mean those fiends who tried to harm my Rui?! Well, now it's personal!" Without warning, Eagun literally sprung out of his seat and ran for the front door with unexpected speed. "Out of my way! I'm going to teach these Cipher goons a lesson!" In a flash, he was gone.

Beluh shook her head and sighed. "Oh, that husband of mine!" she absently spoke. "He means well, but he never did learn how to think things through before acting." The elderly matriarch turned towards her granddaughter. "Rui, I'd appreciate it if you would go after him... just in case."

"Um... okay." A little unsure, Rui scooped up Plusle. "C'mon, Wes," she called out. "I could use some help." With a sigh, Wes followed her out the door, leaving Beluh alone.

The Matron just snorted in solitude. "Darn fool Rogue," she huffed. "I don't know what kind of mess Rui got herself into, but that boy's just gonna lead to a bigger one."

* * *

><p>Outside, the tranquility of earlier had vanished, replaced by Cipher Peons holding rifles as they forced the civilians out onto the grassy paths. "Alright! Single file, let's go!" one of them shouted as he grabbed an old man that had collapsed on the ground. "You heard me, worm, move it!"<p>

A younger boy ran up to the Peon. "Stop it already! He's old and weary!" he demanded. "You can't force him around like this."

"We didn't ask for your commentary," the Peon snapped back. "Now get back in line!" Scowling, the boy grabbed the man and slowly walked him back.

"Man, I hate this town," a nearby girl Peon griped. "After that lousy recon mission, I had hoped that I'd never have to come back. All those old people watching and glaring... creeps me out."

"Don't worry about it. Commander Skrub's on his way to the glade right now," came her partner's response. "Once he destroys it, we'll burn the village and then you won't have to think about it ever again."

As the two Peons bickered, Wes and Rui crept behind one of the houses to survey the situation. "Wes, we need to rescue them," Rui whispered. "We can't just let those Cipher goons push them around."

"Seriously, do you see their guns? Those things'll mow us down in seconds," Wes pointed out. "We'll need to distract them long enough to knock those things away."

As Wes said that, a bright flash suddenly went off from nearby, forcing him and Rui to cower back and cover their eyes. The Cipher Peons, being much closer to the flash, were almost knocked off their feet as what looked like a blur ran past them.

Rui was just barely able to spot the blur. "Wes, was that... Grandpa?!" she asked. "I think that was Grandpa behind that flash!"

"Well, he saved me the trouble of causing a distraction!" Wes released his Eons. "Ebony, cover her. Keep her safe. Ivory, Psybeam!" Ivory leapt out and fired a concentrated psychic blast behind the Peons and sent them falling into a heap on the ground from the recoil.

The boy Peon recovered and turned to address his attacker. "What the heck? Who's got the brass to attack Cipher?!"

"It's the one on the blacklist!" the girl Peon shouted as she saw Wes approaching with Ivory. "Take 'em out!" The boy Peon drew his rifle and they both opened fire.

"Ivory, Reflect!" Ivory summoned an energy field, which sent the bullets bouncing off harmlessly. After a couple seconds, the gunfire ceased as the Peons ran out of ammo, allowing Wes to leap out from the hill and tackle the boy to the ground. Ivory followed its master's lead by firing a Psybeam at the girl Peon. "Alright, GO!" Rui and Ebony dashed out of their hiding spot and followed Wes and Ivory down the hillside path and into a cave.

With their two captors incapacitated, the freed Agate citizens immediately reached for their Poké Balls and released their Pokémon. Several other Peons tried to go for their own weapons or Pokémon, but were quickly overwhelmed by the superior numbers and experience of the locals. Within minutes, every Peon was on the ground and surrendering.

* * *

><p>As all this happened, another encounter was taking place in a small forest glade beneath their feet. Completely enclosed from the sides by the granite cliffs and covered by impenetrably-thick trees, the only way in or out was a small cavern that ran from Agate Village. It was here that a Peon with a distinctive blue scarf on his neck was busy setting up a small device near a stone pillar. "Perfect," he muttered. "Just set the timer and-"<p>

"Who's intruding on this sacred glade?" The Peon stood up straight as the voiced echoed through the glade, and he turned to see Eagun staring fiercely at him. "I am Eagun of Agate. Whoever you are, you are not welcome here!"

The Peon laughed. "I am Skrub of Cipher, and we go wherever we please," he replied. "By order of Dr. Borugu, this Relic Stone is to be destroyed immediately."

Eagun's expression turned to rage. "Fiends! I'll run you out of town myself!"

"I wouldn't overdo it if I were you, gramps," Skrub calmly taunted. "You could pull something."

"Don't take me for a fool! I'll have you know that I was once one of the greatest Trainers in the world," announced Eagun as he drew a Poké Ball, "and now me and my lifelong friend will join forces in battle once more. Go, Pikachu!" With a toss, the Poké Ball opened, revealing the iconic yellow mouse Pokémon in a burst of electricity.

"Aw, geez, another one of these lousy rats," Skrub spat in contempt. "If I had a PokéDollar for every dumb kid who idolizes these worthless things, I wouldn't be licking the doctor's boots. Go, Hitmontop!" With a throw of his own Poké Ball, the Peon summoned the Fighting-type onto the stone-carved stage.

Eagun's faced turned almost as white as his beard as he saw Hitmontop impatiently wobble on its head, twitching with murderous anticipation. "That... that Aura!" he panicked. "You monsters! How could you have learned to recreate Shadow?!"

Skrub laughed. "Dr. Borugu is a genius. The power he gave our Pokémon is much greater than anything that rat of yours can throw at us."

"No! That's not real power! Pikachu, Flash!" The Pokémon nodded with a powerful squeak as it summoned a intense burst of light that forced Skrub to shield his eyes and nearly knocked Hitmontop off-balance. "Now Thunderbolt!" Pikachu launched a vicious burst of electricity from its body, snaking towards Hitmontop and striking it with a mighty KRA-KOOM! Though it wasn't enough to knock out Hitmontop, it definitely made the Fighting-type stagger.

As Hitmontop wobbled to rebalance itself on its head, Skrub growled, but held a contemptful smirk. "Well, I can't say thay wasn't impressive," he replied. "Hitmontop, Shadow Rush!" At once, the Fighting-type span in place, kicking up incredible wind before launching itself forward at Pikachu and utterly crushing it with enough velocity to send it smashing clear into a tree. Poor Pikachu didn't stand a chance as it fell to the ground, completely out cold. "But like I said..." Skrub laughed as he watched Eagun run to help his Pokémon. "Crusty old geezers like you should not overdo it."

"Well, then why don't you pick on someone in your own age demographic?" Skrub turned to see Wes calling out to him, with Rui nearby.

"Ah, good. The so-called heroes have arrived." Skrub taunted. "Maybe you'll be more entertaining. Hitmontop, Shadow Rush!"

Wes didn't need Rui to tell him the inevitable. "Ivory, Reflect!" The Psychic Eon summoned another energy-field. Unlike with the bullets, however, it wasn't able to stop Hitmontop from barreling through and smashing into Ivory, though it did cushion enough of the blow for Ivory to stay standing long enough to counter with a Psybeam.

"Now, Makuhita! Cover Ivory!" Wes threw out another Poké Ball to call out Makuhita. "Go for a Vital Throw!" However, Makuhita went into a Shadow Rush instead and threw itself onto Hitmontop with ferocious force. For a while, Hitmontop was spinning randomly, roaring as it tried to buck off its chubby yellow passenger.

Finally, Hitmontop spun itself towards the stone pillar and rammed Makuhita against it. Almost as soon as it made contact, the scene was suddenly bathed in a powerful green light that quickly faded. While everybody rubbed their eyes to clear the view, Hitmontop and Makuhita laid on the ground (both apparently having fallen over in the confusion). The Makuhita was the first on its feet as it began looking around, looking as though it had come out of a trance.

His eyes still stinging, Wes looked around the glade. "What... just happened?" he asked.

Rui rubbed her eyes to look. "Wes... it's gone..." she whispered as she gazed intently at the Makuhita.

"Gone?"

"All that Shadow in Makuhita..." Eagun suddenly spoke up. "I can't see it anymore." Rui looked up at her grandfather oddly. Wes only shrugged.

"Aw, cripes!" Skrub groaned as Hitmontop hopped back onto its head. "Well, too bad for you, 'cause my Shadow Pokémon is still... huh?" Another bright light, this one pure white, began to shine as Makuhita suddenly began to grow in size and girth. When the light faded, another Pokémon stood in its place, larger and built like a sumo-wrestler.

"Well, this just keeps getting better and better," Wes replied with a smile. "Maku... I mean, Hariyama... Vital Throw!" At once Hariyama rushed forward and stood over Hitmontop, arms akimbo. Hitmontop predictably charged into a spinning Shadow Rush and struck its opposing Fighting-type, but Hariyama stood strong as its increased mass absorbed the blow. It then lashed out with his arms and grabbed Hitmontop by its waist, spinning it once around before slamming the victim into the ground.

Seeing it unaware, Wes armed his Snag Gauntlet and threw a Poké Ball to snag the Hitmontop. What he didn't expect was Skrub leaping forward in front of the ball, blocking its flight with his body. Before Wes could throw another, Skrub kicked the ball back to its owner, smacking him across the face.

"Hey, don't be a thief!" Skrub taunted. "Anyway, I did my part, so it's on to the next job." He reached for a radio on his belt. "All Peons, retreat! Fall back to the rendezvous!" Before anybody could grab him, Hitmontop hopped up and span right into the group of heroes, forcing them to dodge as Skrub ran for the cavern. "Hope you don't mind guarding rubble, geezer!" he announced as he recalled his Pokémon and dashed out of sight.

A beeping noise then caught the attention of Wes, and he, Rui, and Eagun turned to see the device flashing. Before anybody could say anything, Hariyama took the object from the pillar and laid it flat on the ground, then belly-flopped onto it with every last pound it could summon. Wes, Rui, and Eagun instinctively ran to the cavern for cover with their Pokémon, expecting the inevitable blast. What came instead was a muffled BOOM! as the object detonated beneath Hariyama's body.

"Hariyama!" Rui screamed as she ran back towards the glade. "Are you... okay?" Her answer was a low, but victorious grunt as Hariyama slowly stood up again before her eyes. Though it looked unsteady and had nasty burns on its stomach and around him, it was alive and the pillar was unharmed.

"Well, I'll be darned," Eagun chuckled. "I guess it's a good thing he evolved when he did, or else the Relic Stone would've been a bunch of relic rocks."

Rui turned to Eagun. "Are you okay, Grandpa?"

"I'm fine, but Pikachu's feeling pretty insulted. He can't believe he lost to someone who essentially cheated." At his feet, the electric Pokémon growled bitterly. "It's okay, Pikachu. You fought with honor. In any case, I owe you kids one."

"Think nothing of it," Wes replied.

* * *

><p>Thankfully, all the Peons had left Agate Village when Skrub sounded his order, so the return to Eagun's house was peaceful. Apart from the bullet-holes on a few walls and some small fires that had been put out, no one would've known that there had been a battle.<p>

"Honestly, Grandpa, what were you thinking?" Rui lectured for was was the third time as she and Wes followed Eagun back up the hill to his house. "Charging into battle with hardly a second thought? You could've been killed."

"Sorry, dear, but I had a duty as Village Elder to uphold," Eagun defended. "That punk was going to destroy the Relic Stone."

"Why?" Wes spoke up. "I mean, why go through all that trouble to blow up a piece of rock?"

"A little out-of-the-loop, I see..." Eagun laughed. "Tell you what, kids... Before we get back to my place, I think we'll pay ol' Senilor a visit."

"Senilor?" Wes raised an eyebrow.

"A friend of mine. Senilor's definitely not the sharpest tool in town, but when it comes to the Relic Stone, he's the authority bar-none. He's just up the hill here." Eagun led the two up an incline, where a bald old man in a simple black suit sat outside quietly. A Wobbuffet stood by him, silently standing as upright as it could on its stubby feet.

"Ah, Beluh, perfect timing," the old man greeted in a shaky, somewhat unstable voice. "Those weird-suited goons really wrecked my back and I could use some of that herbal tea."

Eagun sheepishly blushed. "Ah, he he... later, Senilor," he replied. "Anyway, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine. Wes, Rui, this is Senilor."

The redhead approached the old man and smiled. "Hello, Mr. Senilor."

"Ah, Torchic! So great to see you," Senilor replied with a smile.

Wes raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Torchic?"

"Senilor... well, he's old, maybe the oldest man in this village," Eagun whispered to Wes and Rui. "Just play along."

"Well... okay..." Rui forced a smile. "So, Mr. Senilor, are you okay?"

"Just dandy, though like I said, those whachamacallim goons threw my back out of whack. Anyway, how can I help you young'ns?"

"I figured that so long as these kids are here, they should learn a few things," Eagun explained.

"That's always good. Let me tell you, kids these days... they don't know how good they have it. Back in my day, we didn't have them newfangled Pok Balls. We had to keep our Pokémon in... what were they, apricots? ... No, Apricorns, I think. Anyway, we held our Pokémon in our apricots, 'cause that was the style at the time... I think..." Senilor scratched his head. "And we didn't compete for those Badges, no sirree. We played for bottlecaps... or was it soda pulleys? Yeah, soda pulleys. We sent out our Pokémon from their apricots and fought for soda pulleys."

Wes raised his arms in exasperation. "Okay, this guy's obviously a few dozen screws loose," he quietly admitted.

"Wes!" Rui snapped before turning back to the old man. "Mr. Senilor," she continued, "Grandpa says you know about the Relic Stone, right? I mean, it's okay if you've forgotten about it, but-"

"Me, forget something like that? Never!" Senilor suddenly blurted out with confidence. "The Relic Stone in the forest below is said to have been blessed by Celebi. When one approaches it, they can't help but remember their fondest, happiest memories. Too bad it only seems to work on Pokémon, 'cause there's a lot of memories I would love to revisit." The old man briefly looked as if he was wishing for something. "Anyway, the people who worshipped the Relic also crafted Time Flutes with which to conduct special rituals for their Pokémon. It's said that playing one in front of the Relic can summon Celebi from anywhere in time or space, and that just being around Celebi brings complete happiness and purity to even the darkest of hearts... or so they say."

Wes whistled in disbelief. "That's... pretty detailed, coming from you."

"I may forget a lot of things, but never this," Senilor proudly admitted. "So, Torchic... why so curious?"

Rui smiled. "Don't know yet," she semi-bluffed. "But we'll let you know when we do."

"Aw, that's a good Torchic. You'll grow to be a great Blaziken yet." Senilor complimented in his own way. "Though I'm not sure about that there Slowpoke standing with you."

Wes gritted his teeth. "Slowpoke...?" he nearly shouted in disbelief. Rui only laughed as the mental image of Wes wearing a dopey look on his face crossed her mind. Fortunately, the beeping of his P*DA distracted him from the teasing as he opened up the message device:

_Wes, it's a disaster! We've received word that Team Snagem is attacking Mt. Battle, along with strange-suited men like those Miror B. had with him. I don't know if this concerns you personally, but please help!_  
><em>~Duking<em>

"Eagun!" Wes shouted. "What's the fastest route to Mt. Battle from here?"

"It's just to the northeast. You can't miss it."

"Good, because I've got a little reunion with some old pals to get to."

* * *

><p>As Wes marched down the hill to his Rumbler, Rui dashed after him. "Wait up! I'm going with you!" she called out.<p>

"Not this time."

"What about-"

"Shadow Pokémon? I think I'm familiar with how to spot them by now." Wes hopped on his bike and stopped to glare at Rui. "I got you here like you wanted, so there's no more reason for you to risk getting killed. Now do your grandpa a favor and _stay here_."

"But Wes, I-" Her voice was drowned out as Wes revved up the Rumbler. Mere seconds later, he was driving out of sight, leaving Rui once more standing in the dust. "So I guess that's it then, huh?" she muttered. "I'm just going to sit around while you're going to risk your neck."

Out of the corner of her eye, Rui saw a hoverscooter lying next to a house. "Not on my watch!" she declared as she ran up to the house, hopefully to barter with the bike's owner.


	8. Bigger Problems

_Damn, has it been that long?_

* * *

><p>In the past, miners had attempted to convert the inactive volcano that loomed over Orre's northern horizon into a geothermal station so as to give Orre a central source of power. When the money ran out, the plant was left half-done and barely functioning enough to operate itself, let alone the whole region. When the Gang Trainers began using it as a place to train their Pokémon, it wasn't long before the mountain was given a new name...<p>

"Welcome to Mt. Battle," greeted the clerk as Wes pulled up in his Rumbler. "Unfortunately, we're not accepting challengers at the moment, so if you could please wait outside for the time being?" She pointed to the main entrance gate, where a small group of Snagems and their Pokémon were causing a ruckus inside and out.

Wes did not respond. The clerk, wisely not questioning him, simply stood aside and let him through. As he approached, the Snagems stopped their antics to see their visitor.

"Hey, Wakin! Benedict Wes just arrived!" one of them called out.

"About time!" Wakin was unmistakable as he strode forward, his eyes forever hidden behind his shades. "And here I thought you had forgotten about us, your old buddies."

Wes grunted in consternation. "This is a new low for you cueballs," he muttered.

"Aw, don't mind us. We're just looking for a new home-sweet-home, seeing as how you blew up our old one," Wakin casually explained, "and we figured that you'd come running with OUR Snag Gauntlet once word got out, so it looks like our plan worked."

"Your plan? You Snagems can't even string two sentences together without Gonzap." Wes crossed his arms. "What's really going on in there? Did those guys in the Pawniard outfits put you up to this?"

"We'll never tell." Putting his fingers to his lips, Wakin sent out a loud whistle. "C'mon, boys, it's time for revenge! Let's attack aggressively!" The Snagems immediately jumped forward, some holding blunt objects for clubbing and others releasing Pokémon. Wes released Ebony and Ivory, who both immediately took defensive positions around him and the fight was on.

If there was one thing Team Snagem had going for them, it was sheer numbers. Outside of that, they were slow, predictable, and not particularly skilled in a brawl like Wes was. As the first Snagem threw the first punch, Wes grabbed his wrist and threw him in the path of another one's club, which knocked the poor sap unconscious. He then quickly closed the gap on two more Snagems and knocked them both out with a powerful left cross. The sound of the Snag Gauntlet ramming their skulls echoed cleanly across the area.

Meanwhile, Ebony and Ivory provided cover fire, keeping the Snagems' Pokémon off of Wes. Most of them went down in the first shot of Ivory's Psybeam (which the Psychic-type had recently learned in place of its usual Confusion attack), and Ebony kept the tougher ones at bay with a combination of Toxic cloud cover and pinpoint Faint Attacks.

All in all, the whole fight was not difficult for Wes, and soon the majority of the Snagems were all out cold alongside their fainted Pokémon. Wakin was one of the few left standing. "Now, I'll ask again. What's going on in there?" Wes announced coldly. Wakin simply ran, with what few still-standing Snagems left following closely. The rest were left on the sand as they were.

Shaking his head, Wes walked up to the gate of Mt. Battle, through the empty reception area, and into the door leading to the first Area. As soon as he passed through the door, though, Wes grimaced at the road before him. The path to the top of Mt. Battle was nothing but a series of floating platforms being held up above the mountain range. No one, let alone Wes, was quite sure how they were able to keep flying indefinitely despite all the added weight caused by the Pokémon battles always taking place on them, and no one was willing to find out on account of 'what goes up...'

Fighting off his initial nerves, Wes strode forward onto the first platform, emblazoned with a big red '1' painted on it. That was the challenge: 1 Trainer verses 100 opponents. No one had ever made it to the summit and most people never even made it halfway, but that didn't stop them from trying. In any case, Wes drew his binoculars from his coat pocket and looked down the path set by the platforms. At the moment, all of them were empty... save for the last one at the end. He could see some kind of fight between Trainers going on, and not the Pokémon kind. There were also more Peons, holding both hostages and firearms near the door of a parked helicopter, but it seemed like their main concern was guarding the hostages and thus didn't seem to notice Wes's presence.

Deciding to handle the situation quietly, Wes slowly walked down the path, hoping that the Peons wouldn't spot him and shoot him dead before he made it to the other side.

* * *

><p>"Hand it over!"<p>

The young Trainer, who went by the name of Vander, sneered at his addressor's face. "No!" Before he knew it, he was shoved to the platform by a big, burly arm attached to a giant of a man. Compared to the stick figure that was Miror B., this man was incredibly tall and muscular, with a form-fitting white bodysuit emphasizing his chiseled features. A tribal necklace made of Poké Balls adorned his neck and an incredible mane of fiery red hair reached from his scalp to halfway down his spine.

"Now for the last time, you little punk... hand over the flute!"

"No," Vander repeated. "If you want it so badly, fight me for it." Laughing, the giant man kicked his downed opponent in the stomach. "Ung... I... meant with Pokémon."

"What, and let them have all the fun of trashing punks like you? Never!" The giant cracked his knuckles. "Besides, you don't think you would've won anyway, do you?"

Vander groaned. "I... won't give it... to you..."

"Fine, then. I guess we'll just have to make our point a little more direct." The brute turned to his Peons. "Kill them. Leave no witnesses." Skrub and the other Peons nodded as they readied their rifles. Vander winced at the thought of what was going to happen next...

Before any of them could fire, a shout made them pause. "Leave them alone!" The wild man looked up to see Wes glaring at him from the edge of the platform, Ebony and Ivory at his side. "The Trainer said no."

"Wha- who're you? How'd you get here?" The giant squinted his eyes and took a closer look at his visitor. "Waitaminute... blue coat... you're that punk who trashed Miror B, right? The Boss told me all about some guy in a blue coat to watch for, but I didn't think you'd be so puny compared to me, the great Dakim."

"It's not the size that matters, freak," Wes taunted back. "My money says me and my Pokémon can dance circles all around you."

"Listen to this kid. He's got a death wish something fierce." Dakim stood to his full height, easily dwarfing Wes as he cracked his knuckles. "Alright, punk. You want your lesson in pain? Well, I'll hammer it in so thick, your head and bones will be aching with it all the way to your death bed." Knowing what was going to happen next, Vander crawled away to a corner of the platform. Dakim snorted. "Fine, he can watch from over there."

One of the Peons stepped forward. "Permission to fire, sir?"

"Not yet. I'm sure they have the right to watch one last show." Dakim grabbed a pair of Poké Balls from his necklace and opened them up, bringing a Marshtomp and a Golem onto the battlefield. "Golem, Protect! Marshtomp, Earthquake!" At once the Golem curled itself up as the Marshtomp slammed the platform with incredible force. Before either of the Eons could respond, the shockwave sent them flying into the air and onto their backs. The Golem, however, uncurled itself without any harm. "Now, switch places!" This time, the Marshtomp curled itself up while the Golem reared up to slam the platform.

Wes reached for a Pok Ball and recalled Ivory. In its place, he brought in Noctowl. "Hypnosis!" Wes ordered. Though still a Shadow Pokémon, the Noctowl didn't even seem disobedient as it glared at the Golem, stopping it in its tracks. "Go, Mantine!" With another Pok Ball, what once was Ferma's Mantine appeared. Crossing his fingers, Wes shouted "Use BubbleBeam!". To his good fortune, Mantine obeyed and knocked out the Golem in a single blast of watery foam, making Wes glad that he switched out Slugma before leaving Agate.

Dakim grunted as he recalled Golem and pulled out a Metang. "Metang, Metal Claw!" The new Pokémon obeyed and tore into Ebony with a hard slash. Suddenly, Wes was having second thoughts about leaving Slugma behind, as the Steel-type was not an easy kind of Pokémon to damage. Nonetheless, it still had its weaknesses. "Ebony, Faint Attack!" Ebony vanished out of sight before suddenly appearing behind Metang and ramming it without fail. The Metang survived, but it was clear on its anguished face that the damage was substantial enough to at least get past its durable hide.

The Marshtomp launched a blast of Muddy Water at Wes's Pokémon in hopes of blinding them. Not that it did any good: Mantine clearly evaded the attack and it did nothing to stop Ebony's Faint Attack assault on Metang. It did, however, leave some muddy splatters on Wes's coat. "Aw, come on! This is dry-clean only!" he teased. Seeing Dakim's furious expression brought a smile to Wes's face as his Pokémon continued the battle.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Rui had just pulled up in her borrowed hoverscooter. Almost immediately, she saw the Snagems lying about on the ground. Wes's work, no doubt, she thought with a smile as she hopped off and ran for the door. As she stepped inside, though, a pair of hands lurched out and grabbed her. "Hey, let go! Get off me!"<p>

"Now where're you goin', toots?" one of the Snagems lustfully spoke, getting a look of disgust from Rui as she struggled in their grip. "Don't be so hasty and stay with us awhile."

"Hey, Jedo. Do you think Cipher will give US the reward for her capture?"

"Maybe," Jedo replied. "But who cares? I say we keep her for ourselves!"

"Let GO!" As she shouted this, a burst of inexplicable force sent the Snagems flying into the walls. Had they possessed even an inkling of thought into what just happened, they might have realized before passing out that there was something about this girl. Something that radiated power, uncontrollable as it was.

Apparently, Rui never questioned it, either. All she knew was that she had to help Wes somehow. It was the least she could do for all the times he had to save her from Cipher's clutches, and she couldn't help but feel that without someone to watch his back, Wes was going to land in said clutches instead.

* * *

><p>Back with Wes, the battle with Dakim was proceeding in the Rogue's favor. At the moment, Metang was knocked out and replaced with a Camerupt, which was quickly falling to Mantine's BubbleBeam, while Ivory had replaced Ebony and was taking care of Marshtomp with some Psybeam attacks. Nearby, Vander was impressed at the Rogue's skill, but wisely held his opinion to himself lest he get one of the Peons mad... and ready to fire.<p>

Within seconds, Dakim's Pokémon were all knocked out. "Now, what was that you said about hammering in a lesson in pain," Wes casually teased. His opponent looked absolutely livid.

"You... you have no idea what you're messing with, you little punk!" the burly, wild-haired man roared. "It's time you knew your place!" Dakim tossed his last Poké Ball, revealing a Pokémon that made Wes's normally calm demeanor break. It was a Pokémon that he had only heard stories of, among others, with its coarse brown fur and flowing smoke-like mane.

However, what made Wes truly nervous was the glare in the Pokémon's eyes. It was a glare of pure evil, one that he would've never known to look for if not for Rui. Ivory immediately cowered back, and even the still-corrupted Mantine couldn't help but shudder. "What the-?" Wes grunted.

"No way..." Vander added.

"Entei, Shadow Rush... on the Trainer!" Dakim ordered. Entei immediately obeyed, Shadow emanating from its body as it barreled full-speed for Wes. The Rogue had good reason to be afraid, for Entei could very easily crush his head underneath its paw. Almost instinctively, Mantine and Ivory threw themselves in front of the stampeding beast, taking brutal damage as Entei crashed into them. Ivory took much of the damage and he collapsed instantly. Mantine, though, managed to hang on long enough to pull into a Shadow Rush of its own, slamming into Entei with every ounce of Shadow-boosted strength it could. Entei flinched from the blow, but quickly recovered and pounced into Mantine, grounding it for good as it laid there unconscious.

"Ivory, Mantine, re-OOMPH!" Without warning, Dakim suddenly leapt forward and punched Wes right in the gut, sending him staggering to his knees. Not bothering to wait for him to recover, Dakim grabbed Wes by his coat collar and began to punch him in the face. He then casually tossed Wes to the ground behind him, like he was nothing more than a piece of garbage.

Moaning, Wes tried to reach into his coat for a Poké Ball, but screamed as Dakim stomped on his right hand. "You moron! Who did you think we were?" Dakim spoke. "You think we're like Team Rocket or those other spineless gangs overseas? You think we're stopped by a few measly Pokémon battles? Sure, you beat that dingbat Miror B., but anyone can beat him. Here in Cipher, we don't waste time with whelps like you." Dakim punched his fist into his palm. "Anyone gets in our way, we make sure they never do so ever again." Picking up Wes by the collar, Dakim held him out in front of Entei. "Alright, Entei. Shadow Rush at full power. Crush this whelp!"

Barely able to open his eyes, Wes could see Entei glaring at him as it growled madly. Already, the dust at its feet was being swept up as the invisible Shadow energy coursed across its fur. Wes felt Dakim pull his arm back, and he knew what was going to happen: Dakim was going to wait until the beast charged, then shove him into its path. _It can't end like this!_ Wes bowed his head in resignation. _Rui..._

"WESSSSS!" A loud scream jerked Wes's head up just as Entei began its Shadow Rush. As if from nowhere, Rui leapt out and pushed him out of the Pokémon's path, forcing Entei to smash into her with a sickening CRUNCH! Even in his condition, Wes was mentally screaming as he saw Rui's limp body fly through the air and land on the platform next to Vander, unmoving.

Dakim, surprisingly, stopped laughing. "Rats! She ruined a perfectly good execution!" Summoning every bit of adrenaline within him, Wes broke out of Dakim's grasp and ran over to her. She was unconscious, but Wes could see her breathing, albeit barely. "Well, that's what she gets for trying to play hero," Dakim casually said, without even a hint of remorse.

Wes suddenly stood up, despite his injuries, and recalled Ivory and Mantine before tossing out Ebony and Noctowl. "Noctowl, Hypnosis! Ebony, Bite that Entei!" Both Pokémon obeyed, with Noctowl glaring into Entei's eyes and trying to lull it to sleep. Entei, however, was too worked up from its violent gestures to sleep, though it was fully aware as Ebony leapt forward and bit it in the shoulder, getting it to flinch.

Not missing the opportunity, Wes gestured to Noctowl to try again, while he recalled Ebony and sent out Hariyama. "Body Slam!" Wes ordered as Hariyama rushed forward and dived belly-first onto Entei, making it collapse from the sheer weight. As it tried to regain its footing, Entei suddenly felt Noctowl's Hypnosis kick in, lulling it to sleep and making Dakim roar in rage. "Yeah, roar all you want, you freak! I'll give you something to really bellow over!" Wes quietly said. Whispering a silent prayer, Wes fired an Ultra Ball from the Snag Gauntlet, the EM field glowing as the projectile opened and pulled Entei into it. With heavy, pained breaths, Wes counted the seconds off as the Ball shook. _1... 2... 3... NO!_ The Ball exploded, releasing Entei back onto the field... though still asleep.

"Hey! Wake up, you loser!" Dakim shouted, causing Entei to jerk awake and roar. "Crush the brat already!" Entei obeyed, pulling once more into a Shadow Rush. This time, though, it was met with a flurry of feathers as Noctowl soared up high and dived right into Entei's face in a Fly attack. Hariyama followed up with another Body Slam, dropping Entei to its knees as Wes tossed another Ultra Ball and pulled the Pokémon in. He tensly counted off the seconds, hoping that Entei would stay in this time. _1... 2... 3..._

It did. Picking up Entei's new Poké Ball, Wes glared at Dakim with unbrideled fury, making the man step back nervously. "I... I don't believe it!" he stammered. Enraged, Dakim ran over to the still-unconscious Vander and picked him up, then held him over the edge of the platform. "Gimme my Entei back, you little runt," he threatened, "or this weakling's gonna be stainin' the mountain!"

"Master Dakim!" shouted Skrub as he ran up onto the platform. "Dr. Borugu just called. He says that you are to cease and desist immediately!"

"But... but..."

"We've failed here. We need to fall back and regroup. This is a direct order from Dr. Borugu." Skrub announced. "Take the hostages and load them into the helicopter."

With a growl, Dakim tossed Vander back onto the platform. "Fine! Any Pokémon that gives itself up that easily isn't worth keeping anyway," he said to Wes with bitter resentment. "Knowing Ein, he's probably creating even better Shadow Pokémon in his lab. Consider yourself lucky... for now." Laughing, Dakim jumped into the helicopter as it began to lift off.

As Wes helped Vander to his feet and recalled all his Pokémon, the young Trainer glared at the helicopter, which was rapidly flying off into the sunset. "Aren't you going to go after them?" Vander asked.

"How?" Picking up Rui, Wes began the long, painful trudge back to the front gate. With each step, he winced from both his injuries and the mental anguish of what just happened. Vander simply followed, his own steps filled with the pain of feeling so helpless.


	9. New Goals

It was nightfall by the time Rui woke up back in Agate Village. The first thing she saw was Beluh leaning into her face and hugging her. "Oh, thank goodness!" Beluh exclaimed as she doted on her granddaughter like any concerned woman would. "Rui, speak to me! How are you feeling?!"

"Horrible..." the redheard groaned. "I feel like I got hit by a train."

"You got hit by an Entei. A blow like that would've killed any lesser person," Vander explained from nearby. "If it wasn't for that person with the device stealing it away..." Rui looked confused. "Oh, sorry. My name's Vander. I work at Mt. Battle as an Area Leader. In any case, I have to thank you and your friend for helping me."

"You're welcome," Rui replied. "But what did he want?"

Vander reached into his pocket and pulled out an old rusty object. "Here. This is what that thug was after. I had bought it from a merchant at Gateon Port a few days ago, but I didn't think anybody would find it worth stealing. I'm just glad he didn't think to look in the checkpoint past the platform." Vander pulled out a familiar black binder. "He also dropped this." Rui took the binder and read it.

* * *

><p><em>Shadow Pokémon Report: Celebi's Power<em>

_Dr. Ein Borugu, Cipher R & D Head_

_Thanks to the spies I have sent to Agate Village, I have learned of the existence of a large stone object in a glade beneath the village. This "Relic Stone" appears to be a highly-concentrated focal point of Aura. According to the locals, it was blessed by Celebi and used as a object of worship long ago. Several of my earliest Shadow Pokémon test subjects that got too close to the Relic Stone suddenly and inexplicibly broke free of my control and returned to their original pre-infusion identites. Being unable to re-infuse them, I eventually ordered them destroyed. I have no tolerance for the worthless!_

_Further refinements in the infusion process have made my Shadow Pokémon more resistant to the Relic Stone's power. By infusing them with greater concentrations of Shadow, they are not as affected by the Stone's purifying effects. However, it would appear that the weaker the Shadow in a Pokémon is, the more susceptible they are to the Stone, to the point where a Pokémon with a very weak, almost non-existent amount can be completely restored. I want this Relic Stone destroyed! The fact that it stands as an emblem of hope against my plans is inconceivable!_

_It is also said that those who worshipped the Relic Stone also crafted "Time Flutes". By playing them, they could summon Celebi to the Stone and bless their Pokémon in person. I have theorized that if the Stone's power alone can purify a Shadow Pokémon with a weak enough Shadow level, then a direct encounter with the source of its power would most likely result in an instantaneous purification. This simply will not do at all!_

_I am putting out rewards for any Peons who can find and destroy these Time Flutes. See your Admins for details!_

* * *

><p>As Rui browsed the binder, her gaze turned to the object. "Time Flute..." she muttered as she looked at it. "Could this rusty thing actually be a Time Flute?"<p>

Vander shrugged. "Dunno, but I think it's better off in your hands anyway. Right now, I've got a bigger problem. That man and his friends went and kidnapped my Area's Trainers. Until they come back or I train replacements, Mt. Battle is closed, and Battlus is not going to be happy when he realizes that no one's coming out to challenge him at the summit..." He paused to think. "Not that he ever gets challengers, but he still appreciates it when people at least make the attempt to reach him."

"Wes will want to see this." Rui looked around. "Where's Wes?"

"I don't know. He left as soon as he dropped you off," replied Eagun. "I tried to tell him to stay and recover, but he wouldn't hear of it."

"Did you hear his bike leave?"

"No."

"Then he's still around somewhere!" Rui hopped off the bed, grabbed her coat, and ran out the door. Outside of a slight limp, one wouldn't even know that she had been injured.

Beluh sighed. "At least we know where she gets it from," she remarked towards Eagun. The elder was silent.

* * *

><p>It didn't take Rui long to spot Wes. The campfire gave off a strong glow that shone all the way to Agate Village. Wes had taken off his coat, revealing his tattered gray t-shirt underneath. "Hey," she greeted as she approached Wes. "Is this seat taken?"<p>

"Eh..." Wes shrugged, not even turning to face Rui. "How're you feeling?"

"Better. Hurts a bit to move, though. You?"

Wes simply sighed, his gaze unmoving from the horizon. "I've had worse."

"I see." Rui sighed quietly as she and Wes stared aimlessly at the stars. "Y'know, my mother always said that it's never considered a weakness to show pain," she suddenly spoke. "She said that such emotions are what give humans and Pokémon their strength. Their aura, she called it."

"Sounds like you had a good mom," Wes disinterestedly replied. "She still around?"

"Mom was always traveling, going places and doing things, though she never really explained what it was that she did. Any time I was able to spend with her was a welcome sight," she continued. "The last time I saw her, she told me she was going someplace far away. That was when I was ten, and I haven't seen her since."

"So why'd you come to Orre?"

"Just last year I began having weird dreams. Since Mom was still missing, Dad suggested that my grandpa could explain things better than he could."

Wes frowned. "But with no Pokémon?"

"I've never owned any." Wes looked a bit shocked at hearing this. "Yeah, it's crazy, but Dad didn't want me training any Pokémon. Said he wasn't going to let me risk my life over what he called a fool's quest. The only reason he even let me go to Orre was because he had Grandpa pull strings to make sure I got to Agate and back safely."

Wes growled. "A lot of good that did out here."

"So, how about you, Wes? Where're you from?"

"Here," he quickly replied. "Grew up in the desert since I could breathe."

"Surely you have parents."

"I did. Once. They were among the miners that came here." The Rogue hesitated. "They... died in a rock slide."

Rui bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Never knew 'em much." Wes shrugged. "To me, Ebony and Ivory are the only family I need."

"And how did you meet them in a region where there's nothing to catch?"

"Well..." Wes sat up to think. "I was still a kid when I arrived in Gateon Port. There was a bazaar going on, with people buying and selling wares from all over the world. I had no money, of course, so I just browsed. One merchant was selling Pokémon that he had captured from overseas, among them a pair of Eevees that looked so cold and malnourished. Then some guy with blue hair and a white outfit came up and started shouting at the merchant, claiming that he swindled him with a Magikarp. A fight broke out between the two, and during the fight, the cage holding the Eevees got knocked off the shelf and rolled into the ocean waters."

"So what happened?"

"The merchant didn't seem to notice, what with the fight going on, so I dove in after the Eevees, pulled their cage out before it sank, then dashed out of Gateon as fast as I could with them. I don't think the merchant ever realized his loss. The boys must've felt enough gratitude to consider me their new owner, because they've been tagging along with me ever since."

"Well, the three of you obviously care for each other," a new voice suddenly spoke up from nearby, "especially seeing how they evolved in response." Wes and Rui looked behind them to see Eagun standing there.

"Hey!" Rui exclaimed. "How long have you been listening?"

"Long enough." Eagun smiled through his wisened beard before sitting down across from Wes and Rui. "I figured that after all you kids have been through, the two of you deserve a few answers."

"Grandpa," Rui began, "tell me the truth. Given what's been happening recently, I've been wondering about-"

"Your visions?" Eagun chuckled. "It's not something to worry about. You simply take after your mother. She was my child, after all."

"So, she could see Aura, too?"

"Her and me both. Aura Guardians and their kids have always been more sensitive to Aura than the average person."

Rui looked up with interest. "Aura Guardians?"

Wes spoke up. "Sounds like something out of a fairy tale."

"I'm sure it does, but they're out there." Eagun could tell that Rui was now fully interested. "Let me tell you a story..."

* * *

><p><em>"Long, long ago, there was a golden age of co-existence between people and Pokémon. Nature flourished and Aura was abundant, flowing to and from every creature who held positive emotions and utmost respect for all forms of life."<em>

_"As time passed, however, the people began to realize the power of Pokémon, and they started abusing it to gain power and wealth for themselves. Greed and hatred consumed their emotions, and it created a dark aura... a Shadow. This Shadow then spread to their Pokémon, driving the innocent creatures into rage and madness. Fueled by Shadow, these people and their Pokémon laid waste to the world, and the golden age descended into a violent and bloody war. It's said that this region was among the battlegrounds the war was fought in, a battle so devastating that every living thing was destroyed in the crossfire, never to grow back."_

_"Eventually, the war got so great that a Goddess came down and punished mankind for its actions by making the Pokémon, the very creatures that the people had been blessed with but abused, vanish from the Earth. For centuries, the humans were forced to survive on their own labors, even coming dangerously close to extinction on several occasions. But time heals all wounds. Once the Goddess deemed humanity fully absolved, the Pokémon began to reappear, once more willing to aid those who wished it."_

* * *

><p>"Of course, that's just how Aura Guardians tell it," Eagun finished, "but they've silently watched over the world since, making sure that the same mistakes from long ago are never repeated. I had spent the better part of my life traveling. Y'know, righting wrongs and triumphing over evil, that sort of heroism. Eventually, I retired and your mother took over. We still kept in touch, her and I, even after she married and had you."<p>

Rui now looked intrigued. "Do you know what happened to her? C'mon, Grandpa, tell me."

Eagun hesitated, but slowly answered. "She showed up at my house one day, telling me that there was a mounting gale of darkness in the region. Being older and worn-out, I wasn't as attuned to the land's Aura as she was, so I took her word for it and gave her my blessing. A few days later, she came back looking like she had been mangled by wild beasts before being shot in the stomach. Her willpower was the only thing that kept her alive long enough to make it to Agate." He bowed his head. "Her wounds were too severe to heal, so I took her to the Relic Stone and sat with her while waiting for the inevitable. Just before she faded, she whispered... 'Watch over my daughter.' Still not sure if she was talking to me or Arceus-knows-what else, though."

"And... when was this?"

"About a year ago."

Rui's eyes lit up. "Then... do you think my dreams were..."

"Maybe..." Eagun said with a stroke of his beard. "And maybe it wasn't a complete coincidence that you two met."

"Now wait a minute!" Wes stood up. "Look, I don't know what you Guardians believe in, no offense, but I don't buy into the whole 'guided by fate' deal," he exclaimed. "There's no mystical aura dictating my actions, just a lot of common sense and survival instincts."

"Suit yourself," Eagun said as he stood up to meet his gaze, "but you did watch over my granddaughter and see her to Agate safely. I'd say her fortune was good enough to meet you." With no argument to counter with, Wes sat down. The Elder then went over to Rui. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I found that tablet," he said as he handed her a distinctive slab of stone. "It's been in our family for generations, so don't mess it up. Anyway, I'm going in for the night. See you tomrrow."

As Eagun left, Wes went over to look at the tablet. "I can't read it," he grunted.

Rui glanced at the strange lettering, consisting of various black symbols with strange white eyes in their middles. At first it didn't look very legible, but after a minute, Rui could feel a flash of realization hit her brain, and she suddenly smiled. "'In Agate's mystic relic, Celebi's power sleeps'," she read. "'A heart imprisoned by Shadow, it will be released by the power within'." Putting it down, she sat back to think. "Why didn't she tell me about this?"

"I guess she wanted to protect you," Wes replied, "so that you didn't end up having to assume such a risky job."

"But don't you see, Wes? All these Shadow Pokémon and Cipher and everything? Mom was supposed to stop it before it started, and now she's dead. I can't just leave Orre now, knowing that she died for nothing." Rui was almost in tears as she embraced him. "Wes, I'm sorry for imposing and I know you've done more for me than you felt was necessary, but can you help me for a little while longer?"

"With what?"

"I'm sick of being picked on and kidnapped. I want to learn to fight," Rui answered. "Say you'll help, Wes. Please? I'm not forcing you to do this, but anything you can do would be great."

Wes paused to think. "I suppose I could give you a few of the Pokémon I've been snagging. Just give me your Trainer ID number and I can reset the tags to your ownership. You DO have an ID number, right?"

"Of course. Got it at ten like every other person," boasted Rui. "And... I want to try something."

* * *

><p><em>At the Relic Stone...<em>

"So apparently, this binder says that the Relic Stone can reverse the effects of whatever Cipher did to transform the Pokémon," Rui explained as Wes merely stood there. "But the Shadow in the Pokémon has to be very minimal. Like, almost gone."

"How about this one?" Wes released Slugma, who silently sat in place. Outside of an occasional ill-tempered flare up from its gooey body, it merely stood there waiting for orders.

"Looks good. Give it a try."

Wes brought Slugma towards the Relic Stone. "Go on." Despite a brief moment of hesitation, Slugma slithered forward and tapped the object. At once, a shining green light poured from the Stone and into Slugma, just like before when Makuhita bumped into it. Soon, the light faded and Slugma returned to Wes, its expression looking much more docile and pleasant. "Well?"

"It worked! Slugma's fully restored!" Slugma suddenly began glowing again, this time in a white light. When it faded, Slugma had gained a shell and a much larger stature. "And as a Magcargo, too. Now try another one."

This time, Wes brought out Flaaffy. Again, as soon as it touched the Relic Stone, the green light shone forward and encapsulated it. The light then faded and Flaaffy's expression went from patient-but-violent to friendly-and-calm. However, it didn't evolve. "Hmmm... I guess evolution doesn't always happen once purified," Rui observed. "Now, I want to try the Entei you snagged."

Wes suddenly panicked. "Whoa, are you nuts?!" he exclaimed. "Letting a Shadow Pokémon like him out-"

"I know what I'm doing. Just let him out."

Whispering a silent prayer not to get killed, Wes pulled out the Poké Ball containing Entei and released it in front of him. At once, the large Fire-type roared in anger, obviously twitching to kill something. "Ruiiiiii?" he replied as he braced himself for a possible mauling.

Rui took the Time Flute and put it to her lips. "Trust me." With that, she began playing a strange, yet alluring melody on the Flute. As she played, the Relic Stone began to glow brightly, causing Entei to stand rooted to his spot. Just when the light was almost blinding, a small sphere of green light materialized above the Stone and began darting across the glade before drifting in front of Entei. Wes could almost swear he saw a Pokémon in that sphere, small and green and almost fairy-like. At once, Entei's expression slowly went from murderous to irate to calm. Finally, the energy sphere faded away, and Entei turned to Wes and Rui with a strong gaze.

Rui walked forward to meet Entei face-to-face. After a brief, instinctive wince, the Fire-type nodded and allowed Rui to touch his fur. "How'd you know to do that?" Wes asked.

"I dunno," Rui said as she rubbed Entei's mane, getting a low growl of contentness from the large Legendary. "Mom used to hum the tune when I was little, so it just came naturally."

"Well, whatever you did, it worked."

"What's wrong?" Rui whispered to Entei. "It's the other two, isn't it?"

"Other two?"

"Entei is said to have two friends like him. One of water and one of lightning." Rui turned to Wes. "Wes, I think Entei wants us to save them."

"Are you sure?"

"I know. I can feel it." Rui suddenly felt something else from the large Pokémon. "Wes... Entei wants you to release him."

"What?" This surprised Wes. "Rui, a Pokémon as powerful as this could be a big help in stopping Cipher."

"Legendary Pokémon like him aren't meant to be held captive. You know that."

"Okay..." With a small moan, Wes took Entei's Poké Ball and ran it across his Snag Gauntlet to blank the ID tag, setting Entei free of all Trainer restraint. At first, the powerful Pokémon just stood there glaring at Wes. Then, after a tense half-minute, Entei nodded its head toward Wes and gave off a low growl (which almost seemed to say "thank you"). Suddenly, Entei broke out into a run, exiting the glade through the cave and completely vanishing out of sight.

Wes sighed. "I hope you were right about that."

"To be honest, I hope so, too," replied Rui. "It's still so weird, y'know. I didn't think this power would feel so... natural."

"Orre has a talent for toughening people up," Wes admitted.

"I guess," she replied. "So what about you? Where will you go now?"

"I'm not sure. Everything's been going so out-of-control in the past two days that I don't know what to think anymore."

"Well, when you come to an answer, let me know." Rui walked over to Wes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

The young Rogue looked surprised as he rubbed his cheek. "What was that for?"

"To say thank you for everything, no matter what you choose." As she left the glade, Wes smiled. He had to admit... that was pretty nice.


End file.
